Europe Live Day-to-Day

In the thirteen years since its launch, the EuroNews TV channel, based in Lyon, France, has established itself as Europe’s leading television news service. It broadcasts twenty-four hours a day in seven languages [1] simultaneously.

Founded in 1992 and launched on 1 January 1993 by a consortium of European public-service [2] television companies, EuroNews is a pan-European channel. According to the figures, some seven or eight million viewers in Europe watch it every day, which puts it ahead of its main competitors for the region, CNN and BBC World. It is received by 187 million homes in 119 countries and is present on every continent, even though its key market is Europe, with Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Spain.

Its coverage is now 55 % digital, provided by cable and satellite; but 25 national channels in 17 countries also broadcast EuroNews on their terrestrial network. In 2004, the launch of interactive services and broadcasting on mobile phones further increased its audience.

The channel employs 250 people including 160 journalists working in post-production. EuroNews does not have a network of correspondents but uses pictures from agencies (Associated Press Television News, Reuters TV) and partner channels. So neither presenters nor broadcasts in the studio, but stories in the seven languages with commentary adapted to national sensitivities and a news summary every thirty minutes.

Emphasis is on the pictures, sometimes taken to extremes, as with the programme that made it famous, No Comment, which presents unedited images without commentary. The channel’s presentation is straightforward and serious and EuroNews is watched mainly by executives and opinion formers.

Conveying a sense of belonging

EuroNews has been chosen by the European Union to produce and broadcast information programmes relating to the work of the Commission, but it doesn’t deal only with what happens in Brussels. It favours European topical social issues and political life, a niche market in which it has no competitors, while at the same time covering the environment, sport, the arts, films and travel.

Its position outside the mainstream is reflected in its location too - in the heart of Europe but not in a capital city. In fact, EuroNews is based in Lyon, France, a city which made itself a more attractive proposition than Charleroi (Belgium), Valencia (Spain), Bologna (Italy) or Munich (Germany).

The channel claims to be "totally independent" and not "subject to any political, religious or geographical influence". It is financed by advertising, sponsorship agreements and payments from cable and satellite companies. With its detached approach to issues and pan-European view of current affairs, there is no doubt that EuroNews unites the citizens of the Union and makes them more aware of this common area, thus definitely putting them on European time!

Olivia Marsaud
journalist

Three questions to Philippe Cayla, Chairman and Managing Director of EuroNews since 2003.

What developments have there been at EuroNews in the last three years?

Philippe Cayla: In 2006 we welcomed the Ukrainian and Swedish channels, bringing the number of shareholders to 21, and a Bulgarian television channel should be joining us before the end of the year. We have also expanded our distribution. EuroNews has become a world channel, screened on 25 satellite channels and on every continent. We have expanded our Internet and broadcasting services to mobile phones, which is a path of the future. Lastly, we have created five new programmes.

Your audience is rather upmarket. Isn’t this a handicap?

International news interests people with a high level of education. But we are a more general interest channel, less focused on business than our competitors. Broadcasting in several languages means we can reach more people. We are not an entertainment channel, we offer serious political, economic and social news, while being open to the worlds of the arts and sport.

What are the channel’s next challenges?

To increase the number of shareholders and languages. We are thinking about Polish, Greek, Turkish and Arabic. We will also have to improve our advertising and publicity. Since it was launched, EuroNews has run only one advertising campaign, which was in 2005 in London, Paris and Brussels. Lastly, on the subject of distribution, the technology is moving quickly and there are always new networks. Ultimately, we hope to be present everywhere!