RTBF

{{Short description|Belgium's French-language public broadcaster}}

{{Hatnote|RTBF redirects here. For the law with the same acronym, read right to be forgotten.}}

{{Infobox broadcasting network

|network_name = {{lang|fr|Radio-télévision belge de la Communauté française|i=no}}

|network_logo = File:RTBF.be.svg

|country = Belgium

|headquarters = {{Ill|Reyers Tower|fr|Tour Reyers}}, Schaerbeek, Brussels-Capital Region

|network_type = Broadcast radio, television and online

|owner = French Community of Belgium

|launch_date = {{Plainlist}}

{{start date and age|1930}} (radio)
{{start date and age|1953}} (television)

|founder =

|slogan =

|motto =

|past_names = {{Plainlist}}

INR (1930–60)
RTB (1960–77)

|website = {{Official website}}

}}

The {{lang|fr|Radio-télévision belge de la Communauté française|i=no}} ("Belgian Radio-television of the French Community"), shortened to RTBF (branded as rtbf.be), is a public service broadcaster for the French-speaking Community of Belgium. Its counterpart in the Flemish Community is the Dutch-language VRT ({{lang|nl-BE|Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie|i=no}}), and in the German-speaking Community it is BRF ({{lang|de-BE|Belgischer Rundfunk|i=no}}).

The RTBF operates five television channels ({{lang|fr|La Une|i=no}}, {{lang|fr|Tipik|i=no}}, {{lang|fr|La Trois|i=no}}, {{lang|fr|Arte Belgique|i=no}} and {{lang|fr|TipikVision|i=no}}) together with a number of radio channels, including {{lang|fr|La Première|i=no}}, {{lang|fr|RTBF Mix|i=no}}, {{lang|fr|VivaCité|i=no}}, {{lang|fr|Musiq'3|i=no}}, {{lang|fr|Classic 21|i=no}}, and {{lang|fr|Tipik|i=no}}.

The organisation's headquarters in Brussels, which is shared with VRT, is sometimes referred to colloquially as Reyers.{{cite web|url=https://www.rtbf.be/article/la-rtbf-organise-un-examen-de-recrutement-de-journalistes-6910783|title=La RTBF organise un examen de recrutement de journalistes|website=RTBF|accessdate=13 April 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://www.lalibre.be/culture/medias-tele/2004/09/01/la-rtbf-passe-a-loffensive-politique-contre-le-projet-bruxellois-x-2-ENHZKX3SINA3DP2AZFSSZWL5ZY/|title=La RTBF passe à l'offensive politique contre le projet bruxellois X 2|first=Pierre-François|last=Lovens|website=La Libre.be|accessdate=13 April 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://www.lalibre.be/culture/medias-tele/2004/09/25/bxl-rtl-met-la-rtbf-en-garde-KRETNDZBA5HAHCJLNBMRHQIZ2A/|title="BXL" : RTL met la RTBF en garde|first=Pierre-François|last=Lovens|website=La Libre.be|accessdate=13 April 2022}} This comes from the name of the avenue where the RTBF/VRT's main building is located, the {{lang|fr|Boulevard Auguste Reyers|i=no}}/{{lang|nl|Auguste Reyerslaan|i=no}}.

History

Image:Tour-RTBF Luc Viatour (cropped).JPG]]

The National Institute of Radio Broadcasting ({{langx|fr|INR, Institut national belge de radiodiffusion}}; {{langx|nl|NIR, Belgisch Nationaal Instituut voor de Radio-omroep}}), the state-owned broadcasting organisation was established by law on 18 June 1930,{{citation needed|date=May 2021}} and from 1938 was housed in the Flagey Building, also known as the Radio House, a purpose-built building in the "paquebot" style of Art Deco architecture.{{cite web |date=5 July 2012 |title=Le Flagey, the former Maison de la Radio |website=Brussels Life |url=https://www.brusselslife.be/en/article/le-flagey-the-former-maison-de-la-radio |access-date=9 May 2021}}{{cite web |title=The Flagey Building |website=Flagey |url=https://www.flagey.be/en/page/3718-the-flagey-building |access-date=8 May 2021}}

On 14 June 1940, the INR was forced to cease broadcasting as a result of the German invasion. The German occupying forces, who now oversaw its management, changed the INR's name to {{lang|fr|Radio Bruxelles}}. A number of INR personnel were able to relocate to the BBC's studios in London from where they broadcast as {{lang|fr|Radio Belgique}} / {{lang|nl|Radio België}} under the {{lang|fr|Office de Radiodiffusion Nationale Belge}} (RNB) established by the Belgian government in exile's Ministry of Information.{{citation needed|date=May 2021}}

At the end of the war the INR and the RNB coexisted until 14 September 1945, when a Royal Decree merged the two and restored the INR's original mission. The INR was one of 23 broadcasting organisations that founded the European Broadcasting Union in 1950. Television broadcasting from Brussels began in 1953, with two hours of programming each day. Split along linguistic lines in 1960, the INR's French-language programming became RTB ({{lang|fr|Radio-Télévision Belge, Emissions françaises}}) and moved to new quarters at the Reyers building in 1967. The RTB's first broadcast in colour, {{lang|fr|Le Jardin Extraordinaire}} (a gardening and nature programme), was transmitted in 1971. Two years later, the RTB began broadcasting news in colour.{{citation needed|date=May 2021}}

In 1977, broadcasting became a concern for Belgium's language communities, rather than the national government as a whole. Accordingly, the French-language section of the RTB became the RTBF ({{lang|fr|Radio-Télévision Belge de la Communauté française}}) and a second television channel was set up with the name {{lang|fr|RTbis}}.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rtbf.be/entreprise/article_1977-la-rtb-devient-rtbf?id=3568|title=1977 : La RTB devient RTBF|first=RTBF Boulevard Auguste Reyers 52 1044|last=Schaerbeek 02/737 21 11|website=RTBF Entreprises|accessdate=13 April 2022}} In 1979 {{lang|fr|RTbis}} became {{lang|fr|Télé 2}}.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rtbf.be/entreprise/article_1988-naissance-de-tele-21?id=3570|title=1988 : Naissance de Télé 21|first=RTBF Boulevard Auguste Reyers 52 1044|last=Schaerbeek 02/737 21 11|website=RTBF Entreprises|accessdate=13 April 2022}} Along with French channels {{lang|fr|TF1}}, {{lang|fr|Antenne 2}}, {{lang|fr|FR3}} and Swiss channel TSR, the RTBF jointly established the European French-speaking channel {{lang|fr|TV5}} in 1984. On 21 March 1988, {{lang|fr|Télé 2}} became {{lang|fr|Télé 21}}. On 27 September 1989 a joint-venture company of the RTBF and Vivendi was set up with the name {{lang|fr|Canal Plus TVCF}}, which subsequently became {{lang|fr|Canal Plus Belgique}} in May 1995. In 1993, {{lang|fr|Télé 21}} was replaced by {{lang|fr|Arte/21}} and {{lang|fr|Sports 21}}.{{citation needed|date=May 2021}}

In mid-January 2010, the RTBF adopted the new branding of RTBF.be in its main logo.[http://www.lalibre.be/culture/medias-tele/la-rtbf-devient-rtbf-be-des-ce-mercredi-51b8b580e4b0de6db9b9bab0 La RTBF devient RTBF.BE dès ce mercredi], La Libre Belgique, 12 January 2010 The change was made because of the growing importance of new media; the ".be" suffix stressed those new developments.

On 11 June 2013, the RTBF was one of the few European public broadcasters to join in condemning the closure of Greece's public broadcaster, ERT.{{citation needed|date=May 2021}}

By 2011, the analogue systems for RTBF.be were planned to be phased out for Wallonia.

=''Bye Bye Belgium''=

{{wikinews|Fictional documentary about Flemish independence causes consternation in Belgium}}

On 13 December 2006, at 20:21 CET (19:21 UTC), the RTBF replaced an edition of its regular current affairs programme {{lang|fr|Questions à la Une}} with a fake special news report in which it was claimed that Flanders had proclaimed independence, effectively dissolving the Belgian state. The programme had been preceded by a caption reading "This may not be fiction", which was repeated intermittently as a subtitle to the images on the screen. After the first half-hour of the 90-minute broadcast, however – by which point RTBF.be's response line had been flooded with calls – this was replaced with a caption reading "This is fiction".

The video featured images of news reporters standing in front of the Flemish Parliament, while Flemish separatists waved the flag of Flanders behind them. Off to the side, Francophone and Belgian nationalists were waving Belgian flags. The report also featured footage of King Albert and Queen Paola getting on a military jet to Congo, a former Belgian colony.

The RTBF justified the hoax on the grounds that it raised the issue of Flemish nationalism, but others felt that it raised the issue of how much the public can trust the press.

=Controversies=

In September 2024, French Community of Belgium Minister of Media Jacqueline Galant criticized RTBF for airing a segment titled "How to be less racist?", which in her opinion was biased and lacked pluralism. Galant was in turn criticized by the European Federation of Journalists for alleged editorial interference.{{cite web | title= Tweets sur la RTBF: Jacqueline Galant sort du silence | website=7sur7 | url=https://www.7sur7.be/belgique/tweets-sur-la-rtbf-jacqueline-galant-sort-du-silence~a5c65eb1/ | language=fr | access-date=2025-02-17}}{{cite web | title=Public Broadcaster RTBF Subjected to Ministerial Interference | website=European Federation of Journalists | url=https://fom.coe.int/en/alerte/detail/107641508 | access-date=2025-02-17}}

RTBF notably caused controversy in January 2025 by delaying the broadcast of Donald Trump's second inaugural speech by two minutes, in order to prevent the live broadcast of statements inciting hatred. The decision was condemned as censorship by Reformist Movement party leader Georges-Louis Bouchez and prompted an investigation from Galant.{{cite web | last=Santos | first=Gauvain Dos | title= Georges-Louis Bouchez très critique envers la RTBF suite à l'investiture de Trump : "Des petits chefs de la pensée" | website=La Libre.be | date=2025-01-21 | url=https://www.lalibre.be/belgique/politique-belge/2025/01/21/georges-louis-bouchez-tres-critique-envers-la-rtbf-suite-a-linvestiture-de-trump-des-petits-chefs-de-la-pensee-KD7XE7ULLJHTVHSKTHO7H7PMHQ/ | language=fr | access-date=2025-02-17}}{{cite web | last=Belga | first=Belga | title= Diffusion de l'investiture de Trump: la ministre Galant attend des explications de la RTBF | website=La Libre.be | date=2025-01-22 | url=https://www.lalibre.be/belgique/politique-belge/2025/01/22/diffusion-de-linvestiture-de-trump-la-ministre-galant-attend-des-explications-de-la-rtbf-2QAQEIBGIRG5VNAGBEVS5LBVG4/ | language=fr | access-date=2025-02-17}}{{cite web | last=Mokrani | first=Farah | title=Belgian TV delays Trump speech | website=Euro Weekly News | date=2025-01-24 | url=https://euroweeklynews.com/2025/01/24/belgian-broadcaster-sparks-debate-by-delaying-trumps-speech/ | access-date=2025-02-17}}

Logo history

RTBF 1984.svg|RTBF's third logo from late 1982{{YouTube|sz14H2u0BF8|1983 Liege Bastogne Liege}}{{cite web |url=https://videoartfestival.ch/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/VAF_1982_19821012_Stephane_Bianda_RTBF_Liege_Masi_pdf_preview.jpg |title=Stephane Bianda RTBF Liege Masi}}–1994

RTBF 1991.svg|RTBF's fourth logo from 1994{{cite web|url= https://www.lesoir.be/art/la-farceuse-affaire-du-logo-est-classee_t-19970828-Z0E4LF.html|title=La farceuse affaire du logo est classée|last=Simon|first=Christine|date=28 August 1997|publisher=Le Soir}}–1997

RTBF logo old.svg|RTBF's fifth logo from 1997–2005

RTBF logo.png|RTBF's sixth and previous logo from 2005–2010.

Television channels

Television channels are transmitted:

On Hotbird satellite on {{lang|fr|TéléSAT}}, an encrypted pay satellite service.
On cable: analogue and digital on all Belgian cable providers, as well as on cable in Luxembourg;[http://www.imagin.lu/television-radio/bouquets-numeriques/bouquet-imagin/ Bouquet Imagin]
On DSL lines through IPTV to Proximus, Scarlet and Billi customers, as well as PostTV in Luxembourg;[http://www.tele.lu/eng/Service Included channels], PostTV
On satellite free-to-air worldwide as a participant in francophone {{lang|fr|TV5Monde}} channel;
On digital terrestrial television using DVB-T on UHF and VHF frequencies in Brussels and Wallonia.

=Current channels=

{{lang|fr|La Une}} (Channel One): the RTBF's main channel television, formerly known as RTBF1; began in 1953 on VHF channel 10; in PAL color since 1973
{{lang|fr|Tipik}}: formerly known as {{lang|fr|La Deux}}, {{lang|fr|RTBF La Deux}}, {{lang|fr|RTbis}} and {{lang|fr|Télé 21}}; began in 1977
{{lang|fr|La Trois}} (Channel Three): the quality TV channel; began in 2007; there are no commercial adverts on this channel
{{lang|fr|Arte Belgique}}: in collaboration with the Franco-German TV network {{lang|fr|Arte}}

=Video on demand=

The Video on demand (VOD) offer of the RTBF is available on several platforms:

Web: Free VOD has been collected under the RTBF {{ill|Auvio|fr}} brand since 2016. Offering Catch up TV, allowing viewers to see all programs from the RTBF channels during 7 days after broadcast.
IDTV: Free catch-up TV and pay VOD
Mobile device: {{lang|fr|La Une}} and {{lang|fr|Tipik}} are available on several Belgian mobile networks.
Video game consoles: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One

Radio channels

The RTBF broadcasts radio channels in either analogue format (FM and digital format (using DAB and DVB-T). All channels are also broadcast live over the Internet.

=Analogue and digital=

Name	Type	VRT equivalent
class="wikitable sortable"
{{lang\|fr\|La Première}}	news, information, talk and culture	{{lang\|nl\|Radio 1}}
{{lang\|fr\|VivaCité}}	general pop music, regional news and sport	{{lang\|nl\|Radio 2}} and {{lang\|nl\|Sporza}}
{{lang\|fr\|Classic 21}}	classic rock and pop	{{lang\|nl\|Studio Brussel}}
{{lang\|fr\|Tipik}}	young and alternative pop music	{{lang\|nl\|Studio Brussel}} and MNM
{{lang\|fr\|Musiq'3}}	classical and jazz music plus opera	Klara
RTBF Mix	DAB station airing in Flanders, with a selection of programs from La Première, VivaCité and Classic 21	None

=Digital-only channels=

{{lang|fr|Jam}}: Focus on music of the hip hop, indie rock, electronic, new jazz, urban, soundtrack, folk acoustic, neo soul and world music genres
{{lang|fr|Viva+}}: Focus on music of the "Golden Sixties" and the 1970s
{{lang|fr|VivaSport}}: Focus on live sports coverage and commentary