France in the Eurovision Song Contest

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**France**

Member station	TF1
National selection event(s)	{{{National selection event}}}
Appearances	49
First appearance	1956
Best result	1st, 1958, 1960, 1962, 1969, 1977
Worst result	24th, 1998

Radiodiffusion-Télévision Française (RTF-La première chaîne) or TF1 (as it is now known) was the French participant television channel in the Eurovision Song Contest from 1956 until 1981. TF1 organsed both a national song contest to select a French participant song and presentation of the actual Contest.

In 1982 TF1 declined to enter the Eurovision Song Contest (along with Italy and Greece) calling the programme 'A monument to drivel - a mediocrity'.

Public reaction meant that Antenne 2 (la deuxième chaîne) would instead participate for France from the 1983 song contest, organising both a national final to select a participant song and presentation of the Contest. Although, in later years the national final was abandoned, with an announcement by the television station of the participant song and singer each year.

Antenne 2 was renamed France 2 in 1992.

The sister television channel France 3 took over participation for France from the 1993 song contest, due to the re-organisation of France Télévisions group (the French public service broadcasting system which operate both France 2 and France 3).

With the introduction of the Semi-Final in 2004 France 4 (part of France Télévisions) presents the Eurovision Song Contest Semi-Final, with France 3 continuing to organise a national selection for the participant song and present the Eurovision Song Contest Final.

1 Facts
2 Recent History
3 Results
4 External links

[edit] Facts

France has won the Eurovision Song Contest 5 times, 1958 1960 1962 1969(tie) and 1977 and TF1 hosted the song contest in 1959, 1961 and 1978. In 1963 TF1 decided not to host due to a lack of funds and the honor went to the United Kingdom and BBC. Since there were four winners in 1969, there was a draw to select the host for 1970, the honor went to the Netherlands.

France Télévisions participation in the song contest has produced no wins and few successes.

[edit] Recent History

In the past 10 years, France has experienced a severe decline in terms of performance in the Eurovision Song Contest and the country has had a series of humiliating results: 18th (1996), 24th (1998), 19th (1999), 23rd (2000), 18th (2003), 15th (2004), 23rd (2005) and 22nd (2006). However, France's best performance to date (apart from winning) was in 2001 when the country ranked 4th with famed Canadian singer Natasha St Pier and was followed in 2002 with Sandrine Francois who ranked 5th.

Most of the French entries are sung by amateur singers (Virginie Pouchain who represented France in 2006 is a hairdresser in life) or unknown artists. Therefore, most of the French people do not consider the Eurovision Song Contest as the prime show for talented musicians and vocalists.

France's is the friendliest nation with Portugal, Israel and Turkey (any of these country received at least 10 points from the French public since the introduction of televote in 1998):

1998 : Israel - 12 points; Portugal - 10 points
1999 : Portugal - 12 points (the only points for Portugal) ; Israel - 10 points
2000 : Turkey - 12 points ; Israel - 6 points (ending with 7 points)
2001 : Portugal - 12 points; Israel - 10 points
2002 : Israel - 10 points
2003 : Turkey - 10 points
2004 : Turkey - 12 points
2005 : Turkey - 12 points; Israel - 10 points
2006 : Turkey - 12 points

In all the contest, France is among the few countries who do not regularly benefit from neighbourly voting: only occasionally does the country receive high marks from the UK, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Spain and even Monaco.

[edit] Results

Year	Finished	Points	Artist	Song
1956	n/a	n/a	Mathé Altèry	Le Temps Perdu
1956	n/a	n/a	Dany Dauberson	Il Est Là
1957	2nd	17	Paul Desjardins	La Belle Amour
1958	1st	27	André Claveau	Dors, Mon Amour
1959	3rd	15	Jacques Philippe	Oui, Oui, Oui, Oui
1960	1st	32	Jacqueline Boyer	Tom Pillibi
1961	4th	13	Jean-Paul Mauric	Printemps, Avril Carillonne
1962	1st	26	Isabelle Auret	Un Premier Amour
1963	5th	25	Alain Barrière	Elle Était Si Jolie
1964	4th	14	Rachel	Le Chant De Mallory
1965	3rd	22	Guy Mardel	N'Avoue Jamais
1966	16th	1	Dominique Walter	Chez Nous
1967	3rd	20	Noëlle Cordier	Il Doit Faire Beau Là-Bas
1968	3rd	20	Isabelle Aubret	La Source
1969	=1st	18	Frida Boccara	Un Jour, Un Enfant
1970	4th	8	Guy Bonnet	Marie-Blanche
1971	10th	82	Serge Lama	Un Jardin Sur La Terre
1972	10th	81	Betty Mars	Comé Comédie
1973	15th	65	Martine Clemenceau	Sans Toi
1975	4th	91	Nicole Rieu	Et Bonjour À Toi L'Artiste
1976	2nd	147	Catherine Ferry	Un, Deux, Trois
1977	1st	136	Marie Myriam	L'Oiseau Et L'Enfant
1978	3rd	119	Joël Prévost	Il Y Aura Toujours Des Violons
1979	3rd	106	Anne-Marie David	Je Suis L'Enfant-Soleil
1980	11th	45	Profil	Hé Hé M'Sieurs Dames
1981	3rd	125	Jean Gabilou	Humanahum
1983	8th	56	Guy Bonnet	Vivre
1984	8th	61	Annick Thoumazeau	Autant D'Amoureux Que D'Étoiles
1985	10th	56	Roger Bens	Femme Dans Ses Rêves Aussi
1986	17th	13	Cocktail Chic	Européennes
1987	14th	44	Christine Minier	Les Mots D'Amour N'Ont Pas De Dimanche
1988	10th	64	Gérard Lenorman	Chanteur De Charme
1989	8th	60	Nathalie Pâque	J'Ai Volé La Vie
1990	=2nd	132	Joëlle Ursull	White and Black Blues
1991	2nd	146	Amina	C'Est Le Dernier Qui A Parlé A Raison
1992	8th	73	Kali (Jean-Marc Monnerville)	Monté La Riviè
1993	4th	121	Patrick Fiori	Mama Corsica
1994	7th	71	Nina Morato	Je Suis Un Vrai Garçon
1995	4th	94	Nathalia Santamaria	Il Me Donne Rendez-Vous
1996	19th	18	Dan Ar Braz & l'Héritage des Celtes	Diwanit Bugale
1997	7th	95	Fanny	Sentiments Songes
1998	24th	3	Marie Line	Où Aller
1999	19th	14	Nayah	Je Veux Donner Ma Voix
2000	23rd	5	Sofia Mestari	On Aura Le Ciel
2001	4th	142	Natasha St-Pier	Je N'Ai Que Mon Âme
2002	5th	104	Sandrine François	Il Faut Du Temps (Je Me Battrai Pour Ça)
2003	18th	19	Louisa Baïleche	Monts Et Merveilles
2004	15th	40	Jonatan Cerrada	À Chaque Pas
2005	23rd	11	Ortal	Chacun Pense À Soi
2006	22nd	5	Virginie Pouchain	Il Était Temps
2007			Les Fatals Picards	L'amour à la française