ABSTRACT
From the beginning, television in France was set out to be an instrument of knowledge and culture for all. From this perspective, questions of which television model to choose and of the cultural content and value of programs never ceased to be debated by the authorities, television heads, and professionals throughout the century.
This chapter deals with the evolution of the relationship of television to mass culture since the 1950s until our days. It emphasizes the period of creation, which refers to the British model, the shift of the 1980s, and the movement of liberalization of broadcasting.
