France 2

1963–1964	1964–1967	1967–1972	1972–1975	1975–1982	1982–1983
1983–1986	1986–1987	1987–1988	1988–1990	1990–1992	1992 (unused)
1983–1986	1986–1987	1987–1988	1988–1990	1990–1992	1992 (unused)
1992–2002	2002–2008	2008–2018	2018–present

France 2 is the flagship channel of France Télévisions, the public TV broadcaster of France. It was known as Antenne 2 until 1992, among other names.

France is the only European country where the flagship public TV channel is not numbered 1. This is because TF1, the former flagship channel and the oldest in France, was privatised in 1987.^note

Deuxième Chaîne de la RTF (RTF 2)

1963–1964 (experimental phase)

File:Chaine2.png

RTF's second television network, RTF Télévision 2, started experimental broadcasts on December 21, 1963 and had its official start on April 18, 1964. A few months later, RTF was replaced by ORTF.

Deuxième Chaîne de l'ORTF (ORTF 2)

1964–1967

1967–1972

1972–1975

During the RTF/ORTF years, the channel used a series of 2s to distinguish itself from the first channel. The one seen above was taken from the channel's colour opening animation. La deuxième chaîne was the first French channel to start broadcasting colour in 1967.

• Satdish - RTF/ORTF

Antenne 2

1975–1982

In 1974, it was decided that the ORTF would be broken up into smaller entities, including three separate organizations for each of the TV channels such as TF1 for the first channel, Antenne 2 for the second channel and FR3 for the third channel and its regional networks.

ORTF ceased to be at the end of 1974, and the channels changed their names on January 6. Antenne 2 went in an untraditional direction with a logo created by the painter Georges Mathieu.[1] At the start and end of Antenne 2's broadcast day, there was an animation shown depicting seven flying men in blue coats. At the end of the animation, a large 2 would be revealed and the men would turn around to reveal the letters A, N, T, E, N, N and E written on their coats. The animation was created by Jean-Michel Folon and was accompanied by a sombre melody called played by oboe and orchestra. The melody was written by Michel Colombier and is called Emmanuel from his album Wings. The logo used in other parts of Antenne 2's presentation doesn't appear in this animation. The animations was used by Antenne 2 from its founding in January 1975 to September 1983.

• [2]

1977-1986

1983-1986

On-Screen

1983–1986

During this period, there was essentially two logos, one long logo with the full name, and a shorter with only the letter A and the number 2 in a circle. In September 1983, It still using electronic animation but now the flying blue men were removed. This opening animation would remain for most of the 1980s, even though a new logo was adopted in 1986.

• INA.fr
• Dailymotion: Interlude 1984
• Dailymotion: Interlude 1985/1986

[3]

1986–1987

In 1986, Antenne 2 introduced a new logo, consisting of a written A and a solid 2.

• Dailymotion: Interlude 1986/1987
• Dailymotion: Closing 1986

1987-1988

New graphics came in 1987.

• Dailymotion: Jingle 1987
• Dailymotion: Clip from A2 1987
• Dailymotion: Trailer from 1989/1990

1988–1990

1990–1992

Antenne 2's last logo was adopted in 1990. It depicted a 2 on a blue plate.

France 2

1992 (Unused)

File:France2projet 1.png

1992–2002

On September 7, 1992, the organisations behind the two public television channels, Antenne 2 and FR3, merged to form France Télévision. The names were changed at the same time to France 2 and France 3, and both were given new logos and looks. The new identity for the two channels was created by Gédéon. They started at the numbers of the channels and went for a solution involving splitscreens. France 2's graphics focused on two vertical splitscreens, while France 3's graphics involved three horizontal splitscreens.

• MEDIA.lendodal.com: 1992 1993 1994

France 2 was given a new look about 1995, but this time it was done by the Spanish company Ostra Delta. This package kept the split-screen theme for the break bumpers.

• [4]
• MEDIA.lendodal.com: 1995 1996

Yet another graphics package was introduced about 1997 and created by View.

• [5][6]
• BUF.com
• MEDIA.lendodal.com: 1997 1998

On January 4, 1999, France 2 launched a completely new look. This time they went back to Gédéon for their graphics. The new break bumpers abandoned the split screen theme and instead featured dancers. They were done by choreographer Philippe Decouflé.

• [7][8][9]
• MEDIA.lendodal.com: 1999

The dancers went away February 14, 2000 in favour of new break bumpers, designed by Gédéon.

• [10][11]
• MEDIA.lendodal.com: 2000 2001

2002–2008

On January 7, 2002, France Télévisions introduced a new look across all its three channels. At the same times La Cinquème changed its name to France 5, in line with its two big sisters. The rebrand cost 2,3 million euros and was done by Gédéon. The new break bumpers for France 2 featured humourous illusions. These break bumpers were obviously popular, as France 2 decided to keep and add to them for most of the remaining decade.

• [12][13]
• MEDIA.lendodal.com: 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

2008–2018

On April 7, 2008, France Télévisions introduced a company-wide image refresh, which included an updated logo and the addition of gradients to the logos of each channel. Although some new graphics were introduced and the logo was moved, this didn't change any fundamental elements of France 2's on-screen presentation.

• MEDIA.lenodal.com: 2008

Without france text

France2 hd.png

A high-defintion simulcast of France 2 launched in 2008.

50th Anniversary (2014)

On-screen bug

On January 5, 2009, France Télévisions stopped broadcasting advertising after 8 p.m. In place of the break bumpers, they would now show 20 second idents similar to those in the United Kingdom. The idents were based on two scenes shown side by side that were joined at the end. They were produced by an agency called Ultimatum. There will still be ads in the daytime until 2011, and as break bumpers, they used shorter versions of the idents.

On June 2, 2017, in reaction to Donald Trump withdrawing the United States from the Paris Agreement, the on-screen logo was temporarily colored green (which is the color of the France 5 channel) as a message for saving the planet.

• BLOG.lenodal.com
• MEDIA.lenodal.com: 2009

2018–present

On January 28th 2018, France Télévisions introduced a new look for all of its services for the first time since 2002. This new look was designed by Paris-based agency Movement, who also designed the branding package for Franceinfo.

On-air bug

Live events bug

Footnote

• Another example from within the EBU (but outside Europe) is Kan 11, the flagship TV channel of the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation (branded as Kan).