La Deux
| La Deux | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Launched | 31 October 1958 |
| Owned by | RTBF |
| Slogan | Deux fois plus de plaisir (Twice the fun) |
| Country | Belgium |
| Language | French |
| Formerly called |
|
| Sister channel(s) | La Une, La Trois |
| Website | Official site of La Deux |
Availability | |
| Terrestrial | |
| RTBF DVB-T (FTA) | Channel 2 |
| Satellite | |
| TéléSAT | Channel 2 |
| TV Vlaanderen | 60 |
| Cable | |
| Numericable (Flanders) | Channel 32 |
| Numericable (Wallonia) | Channel 2 |
| Numericable | Channel 21 |
| VOO Digital (Wallonia) |
Channel 502 (HD) Channel 2 |
| IPTV | |
| Belgacom TV (VDSL) |
Channel 2 Channel 221 |
La Deux – (Channel) Two – is a Belgian national television channel, owned and operated by the French-language public-service broadcasting organization RTBF.
History
From RTbis to Télé 2
On 26 March 1977, La Deux was launched as RTbis, broadcasting only repeats of RTBF 1 programmes, and remained on air until 1979.
In 1979, RTbis was replaced by Télé 2 (RTBF TV2) which was on air until 1988.
Télé 21, reformats and RTBF La Deux
On 21 March 1988, Télé 2 was replaced by Télé 21 and stayed on air under that name. This channel no longer simulcast on Sundays with its main channel, RTBF 1, however, it continued to simulcast its main 7:30pm nightly news bulletin with RTBF 1 with sign language and repeated after its 8:00pm shows which included movies and documentaries. Its programming consisted of live events (mainly sports) and broadcasting films, music and social and cultural documentaries.
In 1993, Télé 21 split into two channels, Arte 21 and Sports 21 (which took over Télé 21's frequency), both channels broadcast until March 1994 when the contract between RTBF and Arte were suspended at that time.
On March 1994, RTBF Arte 21-RTBF Sports 21 became Télé 21 again and brought back its previous format from 1988 and children's programmes were later included on this channel such as "Ici Bla-Bla", which was also shown on its sister channel, RTBF 1 (until 2004). The show remained on air until September 2010, where all children's programmes were transferred to La Trois.
By the end of October 1994, Télé 21 was simply known as 21.
On 1 March 1997, RTBF 21 split for the second time, but this time, it was known as Eurosport 21, which became more of an events channel and simulcast with Eurosport on some days. Because of this several programmes moved to a new channel called RTBF La 2, which took over this frequency. RTBF La 2's programming consists of documentaries, cultural, live sports or non-sports coverage. During the FIFA World Cup 1998, RTBF decided to air all matches on its two main channels, La 1 and La 2. So that the wider public had access to the full coverage, it later redistributed to transmitters that transmitted La Une and La Deux on cable networks and also by analogue terrestrial and radio, on the whole territory of the French Community of Belgium. This scheme continued after the World Cup, by the Board of Directors on July 13, 1998. RTBF Eurosport 21 ceased transmission on February 1999, when a contract between RTBF and Eurosport was broken and caused all sports content to be broadcast on both free-to-air channels, La 1 and La 2.
La Deux today
On 1 November 2001, Carine Bratzlavsky was designated to draft a reformatting of the channel. Bratzlavsky had been production coordinator of Arte-Belgium, the interface created between the RTBF and the team of the European cultural channel, since 1995. Previously Bratzlavsky was in charge of the second channel of the RTBF, at the time called Télé 21. In December 2001, while working on the RTBF news program schedules for the start of January 2002, the date of 21 March is advanced to re-launch the new version of La Deux. However, following the resignation of the director-general of RTBF, Christian Druitte, doubts were raised about the timing and a delay was considered. In March, the information was confirmed: the new La Deux would be launched in September, and September 2 was finally fixed as the launch date. The aim was to break the image unmethodical or catchall, La Deux, giving it a strong identity, and making a channel of its own. The channel was renamed La Deux instead of La 2, and adopted a new round logo. The exterior of the ident is fully reviewed, and plays on the colours to distinguish between time slots for children (yellow tones), adolescents (greens) and adults (mauve and purple tones). The whole thing is accompanied by a sound design and ident produced by Marc Moulin. Besides maintaining old programs, such as Ici Bla-Bla (for children), many new programs are produced. The show G'nôme, aimed at 9–14 years, followed by Tu passes quand tu veux (produced by Barbara Louys and hosted by two newcomers: Maureen Louys and David Antoine), whose target audience are teenagers. Also note: the debut of Screen (movie block), Clips en ligne, or to Extratime (dedicated to urban or indoor sports, martial arts, etc.). The show also aired the French TV channel Téva's programme Sex in the TV.
On 26 January 2004, together with RTBF's main channel La Une, La Deux changes its look and logo again and reorganizes its programming in complementarity with La Une. In December 2005, the channel switches to 16:9 format completely.
In 2007, La Une, La Deux, La Trois and RTBF Sat were the four channels from the RTBF.
On 15 February 2010 RTBF Sat ceased transmission.
In 2011, the La Deux analogue transmitter ceased transmission in Wallonia. In Tournai, La Une and La Trois ceased transmission as well.
In 2014, La Une, La Deux, La Trois and Arte Belgique are the four TV-channels from the RTBF.
Programming
La Deux's programming consists of talkshows, local dramas, dramas from the US and the UK, news, sports, movies, current affairs and also youth programmes, complementing RTBF's main channel, La Une. La Deux is also considered to be the equivalent to its Flemish (Dutch-language) counterpart, VRT Canvas, which also follows the same programming structure.
Some programmes from the French public channels, France 2 and France 3 are also being broadcast on this channel.
Following the arrival of Yves Bigot, former director of entertainment for France 2, as the program director of RTBF, the programming of the channel has undergone a revamp with the following characteristics:
- Transferring American cult series from La Une to La Deux.
- Broadcasting American soap operas in the afternoon.
- Thursday evening is the best evening of humor with the broadcasting of French comedy performances.
- Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday nights are reserved for movies with a bonus and decrypting hosted by Cathy Immelen, the "Miss Cinema" of the RTBF, following each film.
- Mondays & Sunday nights are reserved for documentaries.
- The youth programme Bla-Bla evolves with the use of a virtual set.
The channel which previously lacked an identity and variable programming now runs on specific themes:
- Documentary
- Series and cult serials
- Cinema for moviegoers
- Comedy
- Culture, music and society
- Sports
News
Prior to the launch of La Trois on 30 November 2007, La Deux previously simulcast its main channel La Une's 19:30 news bulletins in sign language. Now, La Deux no longer simulcast its main channel La Une's bulletins.
From 1994 to 2000, La Deux aired JT Soir, alternating with its sister channel, La Une on some days, which La Une also broadcast this edition as a rerun, prior to closedown.
In 2000, JT Soir began broadcasting daily on RTBF La Deux and has continued to do so today. Since 2006, La Deux aired Le 12 Minutes. Every night, it is presented by Eric Boever.
On 21 March 2011, as part of RTBF's major revamp in their news broadcasts and new intros, La Deux later premiered another bulletin for this channel, Le 15 Minutes, which is currently presented by Ophélie Fontana and Jonathan Bradfer, and it is broadcast at 19:00.
Visual identity
Logos
 |
 |
 |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 - 1996 | 2004 - 2011 | 2011 - 2011 | 2011–present |