Altice France launches 10th regional TV channel

Telecoms service provider and media company Altice France’s media arm has launched its 10^th French regional channel.

Altice Media’s BFM Normandie is accessible to over three million inhabitants of the Seine-Maritime, Eure, Calvados, Manche and Orne departments of Normandy.

The channel provides coverage of news, local events and meetings, along with thematic magazine programming. The service is available on channel 33 of the regional digital-terrestrial TV offering, as well as via ISPs’ set-top boxes, on the web and mobile apps and as a catch-up offering on the free VOD service RMC BFM Play.

Programmes on the channel include morning, lunchtime and evening news and information offerings Bonjour La Normandie, Le 12.30/17 and Bonsoir La Normandie along with weekend magazine show Normandie Week-End and monthly politics show Normandie Politiques.

In sports, BFM Normandie will hair Kop Normandie, covering news of local Ligue 2 teams Le Havre, Caen and Quevilly Rouen Métropole.

Altice France has built up a network of local channels including BFM Paris, BFM Lyon, BFM Grand Lille and BFM Grand Littoral, through a series of acquisitions.

In February it acquired Azur TV, a channel covering the Cote d’Asur region.

The company’s goal appears to be to set itself up as a serious rival to pubcaster France Télévisions’ France 3 network.