France In The Eurovision Song Contest
France is one of the most successful countries in the Eurovision Song Contest and has entered the competition fifty-four times since their debut at the very first contest in 1956. France is one of only seven countries to be present at the very first contest, and has only been absent from two contests in its history, missing the 1974 and 1982 contests. Despite appearing in the Contest for over 50 years, France has never taken last place, although they ended up placing second to last five times.
France has gone through a number of broadcasters that presented Eurovision to the French. From 1956 to 1964 Radiodiffusion-Télévision Française (RTF) was the French broadcaster. ORTF (Office de Radiodiffusion Télévision Française) took over from RTF in 1965, and showed Eurovision until 1973. TF1 took over from ORTF from 1975 to 1981, when they withdrew. Antenne 2 took over from TF1 in 1983 and its current incarnation, France Télévisions, is the current French broadcaster from 1992.
With the introduction of the semi-final in 2004, France 4 (part of France Télévisions) from the 2005 presents the Eurovision Song Contest semi-final, with France 3 continuing to organise a selection for the participant song and present the Eurovision Song Contest final.
Read more about France In The Eurovision Song Contest: Contest History, Contestants, Voting History (1975-2012), Hostings, Marcel Bezençon Awards, Commentators and Spokespersons
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“In France a woman will not go to sleep until she has talked over affairs of state with her lover or her husband.”
—Jules Mazarin (1602–1661)
“And the song she was singing ever since
In my ear sounds on:—
“Stay at home, pretty bees, fly not hence!
Mistress Mary is dead and gone!””
—John Greenleaf Whittier (1807–1892)
“I expect to maintain this contest until successful, or till I die, or am conquered, or my term expires, or Congress or the country forsakes me.”
—Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865)