C8 (France)

C8
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**C8** is French private television network owned by Groupe Canal+. The channel broadcasts news, talk show, entertainment, sports, game shows, documentaries, children's and magazines programmings.

## History

In July 2001, the **CSA** launched a call for tenders to welcome new channels on French **TNT**, a new reception mode that increases the number of available channels. **Vincent Bolloré** presents the **Direct 8** project before the CSA which retains it and grants him a broadcasting license on October 23, 2002

The channel is launched with the arrival of **DTT** in French homes on March 31, 2005 at 19:00 by **Vincent Bolloré** and **Philippe Labro**, which are aimed at live viewers on the first floor of the **Bolloré tower** in **Puteaux**. **Direct 8** has the specificity of broadcasting sixteen hours of live daily programs. The shows are presented live from the newly created platters in the **Bolloré Tower** in **Puteaux**, with the exception of the retransmissions of plays filmed at **Mac Mahon** (***Théâtre en Direct***). In September 2005, appear several weekly programs, with themes defined as fashion (***Fashion 8***), music (***Opus 8***), cooking (***À vos Fourchettes***), religion (***Dieu Merci!***). **Direct 8** is then the **DTT** channel that creates the most new programs. The show hosts are mostly very young. "Life cameras" broadcast live backstage footage of the channel between broadcasts. Some commentators consider the channel to be amateurish.

Aware that the broadcasting of live programs is expensive and does not create a viable audience base, **Vincent Bolloré** replaces **Philippe Labro** by his son **Yannick Bolloré** at the program directorate in September 2006, in order to make an editorial turn towards a more commercial style. Advertising then appears, new shows are created, and fiction and sport appear on the channel. The widescreen is adopted in September 2008. This more "general public" program allows the channel to achieve 2.5% of audience in November 2009, placing the chain at the 9th national rank and the 4th rank of the new channels. **TNT**. It has been available in HD since April 2010 on ADSL networks.

On September 5, 2011, the Groupe Canal+ announced its intention to acquire 60% of **Bolloré Média** (with a 100% option under three years) which would make it the new owner of **Direct 8** and Direct Star. The goal of the pay TV group is to gain a foothold in free television and to apply to **Direct 8** what it had prepared for its free channel **Canal 20** project, stillborn following the ban on television. bonus channels. The transaction is formally signed between the two groups in December 2011, but must be cleared by the Competition Authority in order to be finalized.

In January 2012, the Groupe Canal+ appointed **Ara Aprikian** to head its new free-to-air channel, and in March 2012 presented to the **Conseil de la concurrence** its proposals in terms of cinematographic, sports and advertising rights to authorize the acquisition. A decision is expected by mid-2012.

While it had reached record ratings in the summer of 2011, we can note that since the announcement of its acquisition by the Groupe Canal+, the hearing of **Direct 8** decline inexorably, explained inter alia by the lower expenses of the **Bolloré** group in the grid of the channel.

In June 2011, **Guy Lagache** replaces **François Barré** as director of programs. In July 2011, **Direct 8** reached the audience record for a **DTT** channel with an average of 2.3 million viewers during the broadcast of the 2011 **Women's World Cup** semi-final against the French team women's football to that of the **United States**. In October 2011, it ranks 1st channel of **DTT** with 1,376,000 viewers before the movie ***Catwoman*** at 20:40 and up to 1,888,000 viewers at 21:54

In June 2012, several French media announce the transfer of France 4 to **Direct 8** at the start of 2012 **Cyril Hanouna** and his show ***Touche pas à Mon Poste!*** with his columnists, however, we note that **Eric Dussart** and **Justine Fraioli** leave the show. **Laurence Ferrari** should arrive on the channel, accompanied by **Audrey Pulvar**, **Roselyne Bachelot** and **Elisabeth Bost** to host a talk show broadcast late afternoon. **Daphné Roulier** meanwhile should present the newscast of 20:00, **Elé Asu** the news at noon and **Adrienne Malleray** editions of the weekend. **Frédéric Mitterrand** is also invited to present a series of documentaries.

On 23 July 2012, the **Autorité de la concurrence** accepted the takeover of **Direct 8** and Direct Star under certain conditions by the Groupe Canal+. Groupe Canal+ must thus submit for five years to the rules requested by the organization: limitation to a single output deal with an American Major for a combination of free television and pay television, limited to twenty French films per year for combined television purchases free and pay television, clear and paying negotiation by specific teams, autonomous and separate, no offer of coupling, subordination, benefits or counterparties, limitation to 6 months rights transferred between Canal+'s cinema subsidiary, **StudioCanal** without preferential conditions in relation to other free channels, and transfer of sports rights broadcast in clear attached to sports events of major importance, through a competition by an independent agent. On September 18, 2012, the CSA validated the **Direct 8** buyout of **Direct+** by the Groupe Canal+.

The Groupe Canal+ decides to change the name of the channel for **D8**. A prime-time opening night is organized on Thursday 20 September 2012 from the **Carrousel du Louvre in Paris**. The launch of **D8** is given on October 7, 2012 at 20:35.

On September 5, 2011, the Groupe Canal+ announced its intention to acquire 60% of **Bolloré Média** (with a 100% option under three years) which would make it the new owner of **Direct 8** and Direct Star. The goal of the pay TV group is to gain a foothold in free television and to apply to **Direct 8** what it had prepared for its free channel **Canal 20** project, stillborn following the ban on television. bonus channels. The transaction is formally signed between the two groups in December 2011, but must be approved by the **Competition Authority** in order to be finalized.

In January 2012, the Groupe Canal+ appointed **Ara Aprikian** as head of its new free-channel division, and in March 2012 presented to the **Conseil de la concurrence** its proposals in terms of cinematographic, sports and advertising rights to authorize the acquisition. A decision is expected by mid-2012.

While it had reached record ratings in the summer of 2011, we can note that since the announcement of its acquisition by the Groupe Canal+, the hearing of **Direct 8** decline inexorably, explained inter alia by the lower expenses of the **Bolloré** group in the grid of the channel.

An evening of presentation of the new channels took place, from the **carousel of the Louvre in Paris**, on Thursday, September 20, 2012.

The actual acquisition of the two former channels, **Direct 8** and Direct Star, was finalized on September 27, 2012. At that date, the channels are under the full control of the Groupe Canal+.

Groupe Canal+ decides to change the name of the channel for **D8**. The launch is on October 7, 2012 at 20:00. For the occasion the films, ***Million Dollar Baby***, ***MR 73*** and the TV movie ***Firefight*** are broadcast by the channel.

The acquisition by Canal+ has led to an evolution of the programs during the year 2012, with the use of the Groupe Canal+'s catalog for cinema, French fiction, cultural magazines and some sporting events. To live up to its ambitions, the Groupe Canal+ has significantly increased investments in the program schedule, which will increase from 38 million currently to 120 million euros in 2015.

On December 23, 2013, the **Council of State** canceled the authorization to buy **Direct 8** and Direct Star by the Groupe Canal+ following the complaint of the TF1 and M6 groups. This decision, which is based on a formal defect and considering this redemption as "partially illegal" does not however cancel the transaction. Canal+ then has a period of six months to rectify these errors and represent his case before the CSA.

On June 27, 2016, the chairman of the supervisory board of the Groupe Canal+, **Vincent Bolloré**, announced that **D8** will be renamed in September 2016 in **C8**. In April 2016, the Groupe Canal+ asked the **CSA** for this change of identity. The management of Groupe Canal+ confirms that this name change will be made on September 5, 2016. This is marked by the arrival of **Benjamin Castaldi**, **Guillaume Pley** and Cauet as well as the transfer of **Daphne Bürki** and **Thierry Ardisson**. Despite the suppression of the news of Canal+, the news of **C8** will always be present with **Émilie Besse** for the mid-day and the evening an all-images news.

On July 5, 2016, the director of Canal+, **Gérald-Brice Viret** is interviewed by **Jean Marc Morandini** on Europe 1 and confirms the change of name of **D8** in **Canal 8** under the logo **C8** which will become for the group the clear Groupe Canal+.

May 25, 2017 **C8** advertising agency suspends advertising during ***Touche pas à mon poste***, to preserve the brands following the controversy of homophobic hoax **Cyril Hanouna**. A shortfall for the channel of 130,000 euros per issue estimates ***Les Jours***, for a total reaching 2 000 000 euros according to **Le Parisien**. In July 2017, the CSA imposes a fine of 3 million euros on **C8** following the hoax considered homophobic by **Cyril Hanouna** on his program ***Touche pas à mon poste***.

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