France to launch 'France 24' soon

France's soon-to-be-launched international news television channel has been named "France 24," its CEO Alain de Pouzilhac, quoted by an AFP report, said.

The report said the new name decided by the channel's board replaced the temporary one that had been used up to now: the French International News Network (CFII).

France 24, or simply F24, would begin transmitting in French and English from December 1, the newest entrant to an increasingly crowded field of all-news channels broadcasting to the world, the report said.

A pet project of President Jacques Chirac, the channel saw itself as a smaller rival to the US' CNN and Britain's BBC World and intended to present events as seen from "a French perspective," the report said.

France 24 is a hybrid setup in which France's state-run France Televisions and the top national commercial network TF1 are equal partners.

The report said F24 would broadcast via satellite in French and English to Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and possibly part of North America. It would also prepare for later expansion into Asia and Latin America.