TVMonaco set for September launch
April 19, 2023
From Pascale Paoli-Lebailly at MIPTV
The principality of Monaco is to launch its first public broadcasting channel, TVMonaco, on September 1st, executives confirmed at MIPTV in Cannes.
Managed by Salim Zeghdar, the channel, whose four content pillars will be environment, news, sport and lifestyle, was first announced as Monte-Carlo Riviera TV (MCR-TV) when the principality became a TV5 Monde shareholder in January 2022.
“As a new shareholder, we needed to form an independent PSB channel,” revealed Zeghdar, managing director of the Monte-Carlo Riviera structure and new TV5 Monde board member.
He is working alongside French TV executive Nathalie Biancolli, former acquisition and international drama director at France Télévisions, who will serve as Deputy Managing Director.
Immersed in showing climate change, TVMonaco claims to bring a new TV model, targeting all generations and set to put the spotlight on Monaco and the French Riviera globally with a line-up of high-end documentaries, talk-shows, news bulletins (but no breaking news) and reports.
“As a young channel, we won’t offer any series or films in the short term,” explained Biancolli. “But we want to produce many other types of content with partners such as foundations as well as international TV broadcasters. A hundred projects have been launched.”
As such, TVMonaco is currently working with Beta’s Autentic Distribution, the Prince-Albert-II-de-Monaco foundation and the Monaco oceanographic museum on a documentary exploring the Indian Ocean.
Ad-supported, the channel, both linear and digital, aims to broadcast 7/7 on a regional basis and internationally after concluding deals with operators.
In addition to public funding and domestic, international and digital advertising revenues, one further revenue source will be content distribution.
The new channel will also supply TV5 Monde with contents, including its daily news bulletin.
The Principality of Monaco brings to the international French-speaking channel a €4.2 million annual budget.