La Cinq
Encyclopedia
La Cinq was France
's first privately owned free terrestrial television network. Created by politician Jérôme Seydoux and Italian
media mogul Silvio Berlusconi
, the network broadcasted from 1985 to 1992.
The contract for France's fifth terrestrial network, which was supposed to have been in effect for an 18-year term, was granted to Seydoux and Berlusconi in November 1985. Programming began on February 20, 1986, at 8:30 pm; the first program on La Cinq was Voilà la Cinq, which was taped at Mediaset
's studios in Milan
, Italy
.
Economic problems had led to La Cinq's bankruptcy and liquidation
in April 1992; the network closed down permanently on April 12, 1992, at midnight, following its final program, Vive La Cinq, which was viewed by between 6 and 7 million viewers. The channel's final images before closing down entirely was a text slide that said, La Cinq vous prie de l'excuser pour cette interruption définitive de l'image et du son ("La Cinq would like to apologise for the permanent loss of picture and sound"), followed by another slide that simply said, C'est fini ("It's over").
It would be almost two years before the network's infrastructure was reactivated as a public educational channel, La Cinquième (now France 5
).
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
's first privately owned free terrestrial television network. Created by politician Jérôme Seydoux and Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
media mogul Silvio Berlusconi
Silvio Berlusconi
Silvio Berlusconi , also known as Il Cavaliere – from knighthood to the Order of Merit for Labour which he received in 1977 – is an Italian politician and businessman who served three terms as Prime Minister of Italy, from 1994 to 1995, 2001 to 2006, and 2008 to 2011. Berlusconi is also the...
, the network broadcasted from 1985 to 1992.
The contract for France's fifth terrestrial network, which was supposed to have been in effect for an 18-year term, was granted to Seydoux and Berlusconi in November 1985. Programming began on February 20, 1986, at 8:30 pm; the first program on La Cinq was Voilà la Cinq, which was taped at Mediaset
Mediaset
Mediaset S.p.A., known as Gruppo Mediaset in Italian, is an Italian-based media company which is the largest commercial broadcaster in the country...
's studios in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
Economic problems had led to La Cinq's bankruptcy and liquidation
Liquidation
In law, liquidation is the process by which a company is brought to an end, and the assets and property of the company redistributed. Liquidation is also sometimes referred to as winding-up or dissolution, although dissolution technically refers to the last stage of liquidation...
in April 1992; the network closed down permanently on April 12, 1992, at midnight, following its final program, Vive La Cinq, which was viewed by between 6 and 7 million viewers. The channel's final images before closing down entirely was a text slide that said, La Cinq vous prie de l'excuser pour cette interruption définitive de l'image et du son ("La Cinq would like to apologise for the permanent loss of picture and sound"), followed by another slide that simply said, C'est fini ("It's over").
It would be almost two years before the network's infrastructure was reactivated as a public educational channel, La Cinquième (now France 5
France 5
France 5 is a public television network in France, part of the France Télévisions group. Principally featuring educational programming, the channel's motto is la chaîne de la connaissance et du savoir...
).
Audience
| 1986 | 4.2% |
| 1987 | 7.3% |
| 1988 | 10.3% |
| 1989 | 13.0% |
| 1990 | 11.7% |
| 1991 | 10.9% |