Editing France 24 (section)

===Relaunched project (2000–2004)===
In 2002, President Jacques Chirac relaunched the project to create a French international news channel:

{{blockquote|Is it understandable that year after year we are still lamenting our persistent failure with news and the French-language media on the international scene? Admittedly, we have with [[Agence France-Presse]] a remarkable information tool that we must continue to reinforce, notably in its international mission. Indeed, everyone here recognises the recent progress made by RFI, by TV5, by CFI, thanks to the efforts of their teams and to the determination of the public bodies. But everybody notices that we are still far from having a large international news channel in French, capable of competing with the BBC or CNN.|author=President Jacques Chirac|source=Address given at an [[Élysée Palace]] reception on 12 February 2002, in honour of the High Council of the [[Organisation internationale de la Francophonie|Francophonie]].<ref>{{Cite speech|author=President Jacques Chirac|author-link=Jacques Chirac|title=Allocution du Président de la République lors de la réception en l'honneur du Haut conseil de la Francophonie|trans-title=Address by the President of the Republic at the reception in honour of the High Council of the Francophonie|location=[[Élysée Palace]]|date=12 February 2002|access-date=30 September 2007|url=http://elysee.fr/elysee/elysee.fr/francais/interventions/discours_et_declarations/2002/fevrier/allocution_prononcee_par_m_jacques_chirac_president_de_la_republique_lors_de_la_reception_en_l_honneur_du_haut_conseil_de_la_francophonie-palais_de_l_elysee.2162.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930210853/http://elysee.fr/elysee/elysee.fr/francais/interventions/discours_et_declarations/2002/fevrier/allocution_prononcee_par_m_jacques_chirac_president_de_la_republique_lors_de_la_reception_en_l_honneur_du_haut_conseil_de_la_francophonie-palais_de_l_elysee.2162.html |archive-date=30 September 2007|language=fr}}</ref>}}

{{blockquote|The recent crises have shown the handicap that a country suffers, a cultural area, which doesn't possess a sufficient weight in the battle of the images and the airwaves. Let us question, in the time of terrestrial television networks, of satellite, of the internet, on our organisation in this domain, and notably in the dissipation of public funds which are reserved to them.}}

On 7 March, speaking in the French Senate in front of foreign delegates to France, and as part of his presidential campaign, Chirac said, "We must have the ambition of a big, round-the-clock news channel in French, equal to the BBC or CNN for the English-speaking world. It is essential for the influence of our country. For our expatriates, it would be a live and an immediate link to the mainland"<ref>[http://elysee.fr/elysee/elysee.fr/francais/interventions/discours_et_declarations/2002/mars/discours_de_m_jacques_chirac_devant_les_representants_des_francais_de_l_etranger-campagne_electorale_pour_l_election_presidentielle.426.html Speech given by Jacques Chirac in front of foreign representatives of the French state] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930222601/http://elysee.fr/elysee/elysee.fr/francais/interventions/discours_et_declarations/2002/mars/discours_de_m_jacques_chirac_devant_les_representants_des_francais_de_l_etranger-campagne_electorale_pour_l_election_presidentielle.426.html |date=30 September 2007 }}, (French), 7 March 2002.</ref>

After his reelection, the first reflections were engaged at the [[Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs (France)|Ministry of Foreign Affairs]], headed by [[Dominique de Villepin]]. Various technical options were examined at the time, in an unreleased report:

* The purchase of EuroNews by the French state
* Creation of an external channel, proposed by then-[[France Télévisions]] President Marc Tessier, approved by the previous government
* An international version of [[La Chaîne Info|LCI]], proposed by [[Groupe TF1]], which asked for a state subvention for the service
* Strengthening TV5's news service, as suggested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The subsequent wars in [[War in Afghanistan (2001–present)|Afghanistan]] and [[Iraq War|Iraq]] reassured the authorities about the project, especially in February 2003, when the American broadcasters CNN, [[FOX News]], and [[MSNBC]] opted not to broadcast the long applause given by the members of the United Nations Security Council after Dominique de Villepin gave his address on the Iraq conflict.<ref>[http://www.foreignpolicy.org.tr/documents/villepin_140203_p.htm Statement by Dominique de Villepin to the United Nations Security Council] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101224193413/http://foreignpolicy.org.tr/documents/villepin_140203_p.htm |date=24 December 2010 }}. ''Foreign Policy''. 14 February 2003. Retrieved 5 November 2010.</ref>

On 19 March 2003, [[Prime Minister of France|Matignon]] opened offers to:
<blockquote>Elicit the development of an international news channel. Broadcasting primarily in the French language, this service will assure a more important and more visible presence of France in the worldwide battle of images, and to contribute to the pluralism of international information by offering to our viewers the choice of a different viewpoint on the news, marked by a singular point of view of our country on world affairs, by its culture and by its own ideas, and to value its historical links and its privileged geography. The international news channel must contribute to a long-lasting strategy of influence of France in the world.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20071022113155/http://www.ddm.gouv.fr/article.php3?id_article=615 Consultation guide, Direction and Development of Media (Archive)] (French)</ref></blockquote>

By the application deadline on 22 April 2003, three candidates replied:
* France Télévisions and RFI: to operate a channel entirely run by the public service sector;
* Groupe TF1: proposed an international version of its LCI channel;
* Groupe Canal+: proposed a news "factory" to reinforce its [[i-Télé|i>Télé]] channel, already seen in 47 countries but running at a financial loss.

One month later, a parliamentary commission gave its conclusion, voted with a unanimous decision by its members in the National Assembly, to form a public-owned corporation ''(groupement d'intérêt public)'' grouping all of the public broadcasters (France Télévisions, RFO, RFI, TV5 and AFP) with the goal of launching the channel at the end of 2004.

Ignoring the work of the parliamentary commission, the government asked a member of the assembly, Bernard Brochand, to form a partnership between the applying candidates for the international channel, something which the parliamentary commission did not demand. Brochard unsuccessfully attempted to group both Groupe TF1 and Groupe Canal+. He then proposed a 50/50 partnership between France Télévisions and Groupe TF1 (whilst at the same time rejecting RFI), both groups possessing the technical means and experience of broadcasting externally: TF1 with its LCI channel and France Télévisions' editorial teams at [[France 2]] and [[France 3]].