Monaco’s Prince Albert and Princess Charlene have been pictured behind the scenes of the launch of the Principality’s new public television station, TV Monaco, which hit screens for the first time on 1st September.
Residents of the Principality now have a new public television station to call their own following the launch of TV Monaco at 7.22pm on 1st September.
Found on Channel 9 on the Monaco Telecom box, the French-language programme is part of the TV5 Monde network, which has a viewership of roughly 60 million a week and is broadcast in 198 countries around the world.
PRINCE AND PRINCESS IN THE CONTROL ROOM
Prince Albert and Princess Charlene were present in the control room as TV Monaco came to life. For the Prince, the moment would have been particularly special as his father, Prince Rainier III, was instrumental in bringing TV to the nation.
“It is a great pride, a great joy but also a great emotion,” said the Prince. “The launch of a channel is always a very important moment… My father launched Télé Monte-Carlo a long time ago in 1959.”
The savvy sovereign clearly understands what it means to have a voice that reaches the outside world, adding, “There was this real desire to participate and to promote the Principality even more beyond our borders… A channel was needed to show other aspects of Monaco.”
OTHER TOP DOGS
After a short report presenting the channel and its editorial staff, Minister of State Pierre Dartout, General Director of TV Monaco Salim Zeghdar and Yves Bigot, the General Director of TV5 Monde, had their turns on the microphone of the inaugural edition.
The Minister of State made no bones about the channel being an excellent way of promoting the Principality, saying, “We have a belief and a faith that this television channel will succeed and that it will be a very important tool for Monaco.”
Zegdar, who will soon be handing over the reins to Nathalie Biancolli following his appointment to the role of Administrator of the Estates of Prince Albert II, used his time in the spotlight to speak about the hard work that went into making TV Monaco a reality.
The channel will focus on four key themes: “the environment, current affairs, sport and the art of living” as explained by representatives for Prince Albert via the Palais Princier de Monaco’s Instagram page.
DEDICATED SPACE
The new headquarters, a 1,300m2 space in Fontvieille, will house an editorial team of around 30 journalists, including a dozen freelancers, and will be self-contained.
The presenters and guests are seated around a jellyfish-shaped console “reminiscent of the sun” and the backdrop features wood and rock elements to represent The Rock of Monaco.
A live broadcast set has also been set up, in keeping with the overall look of the channel.
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Photo credits: Palais Princier de Monaco