M6, the Private French TV Channel

Presentation

Métropole 6, known popularly as simply M6, is a French television service owned by a company called Métropole Télévision. M6 broadcasts an over-the-air SECAM signal, and is also carried on the Atlantic Bird 3 broadcast satellite. M6 also broadcasts a digital signal to Switzerland via the W3A broadcast satellite. As of 2004, it is the second most-watched private television service in France, after TF1. Other TV channels in the M6 portfolio include digital terrestrial channel W9 and digital cable channels M6 Music Hits, M6 Music Black, M6 Music Rock and Fun TV.

Programs

M6's current on-air image suggests that this French TV channel targets its service to an adolescent and young-adult audience. Programmes on its schedule include:

• Science fiction dramas:

  Such as The 4400, Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, Smallville, Charmed, The X-Files, Roswell, Profiler, The Pretender, Tru Calling, The Sentinel, Special Unit 2, Jake 2.0, Dark Skies, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. M6 is the only television service in France to have science-fiction programming as part of its regular schedule.

• American programmes:

  America's Got Talent, High School Musical, Desperate Housewives, NCIS, Medium, Nip/Tuck, NUMB3RS, Prison Break, Commander in Chief, Bones, The Unit, South Beach , Threshold, Hope & Faith, The A-Team, Alias, Malcolm in the Middle, Sex and the City, 8 Simple Rules, CHiPs, L.A. Heat, Married… with Children, My Wife and Kids, Still Standing, Ally McBeal, Killer Instinct, Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye, Summerland, Young Americans, 1-800-Missing, The Cosby Show, Who's the Boss?, The Nanny, Little House on the Prairie, Bewitched.

• British shows:

  Hex, Footballers' Wives and Primeval.

• Investigative journalism shows:

  Capital, Zone interdite and Enquête Exclusive.

• Long-lasting short programmes:

  Turbo, CinéSix, and E=M6, and music videos.

In 2001, M6 became the first French television service to broadcast reality programming. Its first programme of this genre was Loft Story, and was highly watched. The president of TF1 at the time, Étienne Mougeotte, promised that TF1 would never air any reality programming. However, several months later, TF1 signed a contract with Endemol to air such programming. Endemol is the same company that created Loft Story for M6.

Current Programmes

• 6 minutes (local and national editions) and 1250 (national edition), afternoon and evening news.
• Zone Interdite, Newsmagazine.
• Capital, economy-oriented newsmagazine.
• Enquête Exclusive , investigation magazine.
• 66 minutes weekly news magazine.
• Turbo, motor magazine.
• D&CO , magazine of decoration.
• Chef ,la recette, culinary magazine
• Hit machine, musical show.
• M6 Kid, program for children.
• Pekin Express, French adaptation of CBS show "The Amazing Race".
• Nouvelle star, (French adaptation of Pop Idol) reality television
• Kaamelott
• Off Prime