Transcender les frontières linguistiques : l'exemple de la chaîne francophone MCM Africa (1995 - 2002)

Abstract

This article analyzes the rise and the fall of the French-speaking music channel MCM Africa.
Created in 1995, this low budget TV channel quickly founded a large audience in western Africa ; and finally in all Africa from Senegal to Nigeria, from Mali to Kenya, and from Cameroon to Madagascar. Dedicated to a diverse public, the channel developed original programs in French (and English), and signed multiple partnerships with major African music events. To reinforce its fragile economic model, MCM Africa was developed in France as « la télé 100% couleurs » in 1999. Divided by cultural, political and economic logics, the channel and its networks were finally sold to the Lagardère media group, and became Trace TV in 2003.