| Soir 3 | |
|---|---|
Soir 3 titles since October 2010 |
|
| Genre | News programme |
| Presented by | Patricia Loison (Mon-Thu), Francis Letellier (Fri-Sun) |
| Country of origin | France |
| Language(s) | French |
| Production | |
| Running time | varies, typically 20-30 minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | France 3 |
| Original run | 1978 – present |
| External links | |
| Website | |
Soir 3 is the late-night newscast of the French public television network France 3. The program, FR3's first national news bulletin, was launched in 1978 by its then head of news Jean-Marie Cavada.[1] The bulletin is usually shown at 10:30 pm from Monday to Thursday, and has been presented by Patricia Loison since January 2011. The programme is broadcast at various times on Fridays and at weekends, when the regular anchor is Francis Letellier.
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For most of the year the weekday editions of Soir 3 are broadcast at 10:30 pm from the set of the live cultural discussion show Ce soir (ou jamais!),[2] which is broadcast immediately afterwards.[3] During certain periods, such as over the summer break and on other holidays, the programme is however shown at various times and emanates from the France 3 news studio. In addition to a summary of the day's news, the programme format includes several regular features such as sans détours (English: without detours, an extended interview with a prominent figure or expert) and lu, vu, entendu (read, seen and heard, which highlights a cultural medium such as a book, album or play). The latter of these is usually the last item in the bulletin.
Stéphane Lippert has been the interim weekday host of Soir 3 since September 2010, replacing Carole Gaessler who left the programme after two years to become the anchor of France 3's main evening news bulletin, 19/20.[4] Lippert was previously the host of the network's lunchtime news programme 12/13. Gaessler had succeeded Marie Drucker in September 2008 after the latter joined the news team of sister station France 2;[5] Drucker had in turn held the position from September 2005 when she replaced the duo of Audrey Pulvar and Louis Laforge.[6] Drucker stood aside for a spell in the run-up to the 2007 French presidential election after details of her relationship with Minister of Overseas France François Baroin were made public.[7] During the period Drucker switched positions with Laforge, now host of the documentary series Des racines et des ailes.[6] Other past hosts of Soir 3 have included Christine Ockrent.[1] Since January 2011, the Soir 3's anchor is Patricia Loison.
Originally airing at around 11 pm, the weekday programme moved to 10:30 pm on 5 January 2009, as France 3 revamped its schedule to accommodate the government-mandated end of advertising on France Télévisions stations during prime time.[8] A five-minute pre-recorded regional news opt-out was introduced as part of the revamp.[8]
The weekend (Friday to Sunday) editions of Soir 3, presented by Francis Letellier since June 2006,[9] have several notable differences from their weeknight counterparts. Since Ce soir (ou jamais!) does not air at weekends, the programmes are broadcast year-round from the main France 3 news studio, which also houses the national lunchtime (12/13) and evening (19/20) news broadcasts, and do not possess a fixed slot in the schedule. Some segments, such as lu, vu, entendu, do not feature in the weekend edition. In September 2010 the Sunday edition of the programme was lengthened by 10 minutes to include an extended political interview.[10]
The 2008 annual report of France Télévisions claimed an average audience of 1.4 million viewers for Soir 3.[11] Figures from audience measurement firm Médiamétrie put the programme's share of viewing at 16.3% on 29 July 2008, a night on which it recorded 2 million viewers, its best ratings of the year.[12] France 3's average audience share for the month of July 2008 was 13.2%.[13]