Christian Jacques Dutoit (18 October 1940 – 5 September 2021) was a French journalist.

Biography

Dutoit was close with and made his career at the

Office de Radiodiffusion Télévision Française L'Office de Radiodiffusion-Télévision Française (ORTF; ) was the national agency charged, between 1964 and 1975, with providing public radio and television in France. All programming, and especially news broadcasts, were under strict control ...

(ORTF) in the 1960s and 70s. In 1981, he was appointed director of programs for . He also headed the development and launch of

La Cinq La Cinq () was France's first privately owned free-to-air television network. Created by politician Jérôme Seydoux and Italian media mogul Silvio Berlusconi, the network broadcast from 1985 to 1992. The contract for France's fifth terrest ...

in 1985. He became deputy managing director of

TF1 TF1 (; standing for ''Télévision Française 1'') is a French commercial television network owned by TF1 Group, controlled by the Bouygues conglomerate. TF1's average market share of 24% makes it the most popular domestic network. TF1 is par ...

in 1987 and was the founder of

La Chaîne Info La Chaîne Info (LCI; English: "The News Channel") is a French free-to-air news channel. It is part of TF1 Group. History LCI was launched on 24 June 1994 by Christian Dutoit on behalf of the media group TF1 as a pay television channel. Its laun ...

in 1993. In 1995, he designed and launched 18 channels in the

AB Sat AB Sat is a package of digital terrestrial television channels (encrypted with Viaccess and Mediaguard) offered by the satellite companies Hot Bird and Astra and marketed in France, Belgium, Switzerland and Germany. The channels are all (or partl ...

package and developed i>Télé for Groupe Canal+ in 1997. In 2002, he became director of productions for Expand. From 2003 to 2009, Dutoit was a member of the ''

Conseil supérieur de l'audiovisuel The (, ''lit.'' ''Superior Audiovisual Council''), abbreviated CSA, was a French institution created in 1989 whose role was to regulate the various electronic media in France, such as radio and television. The creation of the was a measure foun ...

''. In 2009, he joined the

French Economic, Social and Environmental Council The Economic, Social and Environmental Council (French: ''Conseil économique, social et environnemental''), known as the Economic and Social Council before the constitutional law of 23 July 2008, is a consultative assembly in France. It does ...

. Christian Dutoit died on 5 September 2021 at the age of 80.

Distinctions

*Knight of the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...

(1994) *

Combatant's Cross The Combatant's Cross (french: "Croix du combattant") is a French decoration that recognizes, as its name implies, those who fought in combat for France. The Poilus (French combat soldiers) of World War I worked toward recognition by the govern ...

* Medal of the Nation's Gratitude

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dutoit, Christian 1940 births 2021 deaths French journalists People from Rabat Chevaliers of the Légion d'honneur