Discover the French Culture with TV5MONDE
This Is TV5MONDE
TV5MONDE (formerly known as TV5) started January 1, 1984 and was under the management of Serge Adda until November 2004. The new director, named in 2005 is Jean-Jacques Aillagon, former French Minister for Culture and Communication. The present Director-General is Marie Christine Saragosse. In 2006, TV5 underwent a major overhaul, including re-branding as “TV5MONDE” to stress its focus as a global network (“Monde” is French for “World”) with new schedule and program line-up. TV5MONDE is the very first in the world to receive journal contents from other countries. At present, TV5MONDE claims to be one of the top three most available global television networks around the world with CNN and MTV.
TV5MONDE Says : Bonjour, Korea!
In September 2009, TV5MONDE offered their programs in the Republic of Korea and as a result, they could secure more than a million members. To repay their increasing interest, TV5MONDE chose Korean as their 11th foreign subtitle. Since November 2010, Koreans can enjoy a variety of French broadcast programs with Korean subtitles.
We Asked TV5MONDE
We interviewed Jerome Carujo (CARUJO), manager of the education section of TV5MONDE, to find out the ways to save the print journalism. SMT What is the main purpose to give so many different subtitles throughout the world? 
CARUJO TV5MONDE is the one and only broadcasting station which is established to deliver only the programs in French throughout the world. Our main goal is to promote our language French to the whole world and help those who are interested in learning French.
SMT Where else does TV5MONDE offer foreign subtitles?
CARUJO There are 11 foreign subtitles and they are in German, English, Arabic, Korean, Spanish, Japanese, Dutch, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, and French.
SMT Do you think it is hard for print journalism to survive?
CARUJO Just like print journalism, the ways people use TV has changed too and many broadcasting stations, including TV5MONDE are also facing a hard time. In France, there are less people reading newspapers compared to Korea. Their uses have been moved to the Internet, not television. Ironically, we need to use the Internet to seek the ways of survival.
SMT How is TV5MONDE making efforts to reach its goal?
CARUJO TV5MONDE offers free education programs to those who are interested in learning French. Varieties of French lectures with different levels are available through Internet websites and also by mobile websites. More than 8 milion people are visiting the Internet website tv5monde.com and mobile site m.tv5monde.com every month. TV5MONDE as a global media stretches out to the Internet, mobile, and VOD.
Be Amazed by Its Grandiosity, Opéra-Comique
Here Is Opéra-Comique
The Sookmyung Times (SMT) met Maryvonne de Saint-pulgent, the president of Opéra-Comique to learn about one of the greatest theaters in the history. In front of the Opéra-Comique building, it is certain that everybody will be overwhelmed by its dignity. Some people call this building “Train Station.” Opéra-Comique has many episodes, but it is hard to find another opera theatre with such respect and pride from Paris citizens. The Opéra-Comique was built because a new opera theatre for light and comedy operas was needed. The Opéra-Comique is a Parisian opera company, which was founded around 1714 by some of the popular theaters of the Parisian fairs. Opéra-Comique was also called the Théatre-Italien up to about 1793, when it again became most commonly known as the Opéra-Comique. Today the company’s official name is Théatre national de l’Opéra-Comique, and its theatre, with a capacity of about 1,248 seats sometimes referred to as the Salle Favart (the third this site), is located in Place Boieldieu, in the second arrondissement of Paris, not far from the Palais Garnier, one of the theaters of the Paris Opéra. The musicians and others associated with the Opéra-Comique have made important contributions to operatic history and tradition in France, and to French opera. Its current mission is to reconnect with its history, and discover its unique repertoire, to ensure production and dissemination of operas for the wider public. 
Opéra-Comique's Great Performances of the History
Mainstays of the repertory at the Opéra-Comique during its history have included the following works which have each been performed more than 1,000 times by the company : Cavalleria Rusticana, Le Chalet, La Dame blanche, Le Domino noir, La Fille du regiment, Lakme, Manon, Mignon, Les Noces de Jeannette, Le pre aux Clercs, Tosca, La Boheme, Werther and Carmen, the last having been performed more than 2,500 times.
In 1875, the famous opera play Goerges Bizer’s Carmen had its debut here in Opéra-Comique. Carmen is one of the most welcomed operas these days but its premiere at Opéra-Comique was not so successful due to the heroine’s strong individuality, far from a traditional image of women, which was not familiar to the audiences at that time. The famous opera singer Maria Callas sang the aria* of this opera and also recorded every song in Carmen. However, she refused to perform the heroine Carmen on the stage. She said, “Carmen is a strong women with men inside her but I have a very womanlike personality and also I like womanly characters. So I don’t want to be on the stage as Carmen.”
In 1825, Adrien Boieldieu’s La Dame Blanche premiered here in Opéra-Comique. This greatest opera La Dame Blanche in French history was performed more than 1000 times until 1862 with great vogue. The famous Composers Daniel-Francois-Esprit Auber, Jacques Fromental Halevy, Hector Berlioz, Goerges Bizer, Boshusa and others worked at Opéra-Comique. Out of them, Boshusa was a very special composer. He was actually a harpist but he showed his talent in composition and his seven operas were performed here in Opéra-Comique.
Opéra-Comique Gleams Still at Present Time
Opéra-Comique became a very famous place where Paris citizens could enjoy the opera. In 1887, Opéra-Comique was damaged from fire. After the fire, through 10 years of reconstruction, Opéra-Comique could show its grandiosity and dignity again.
* An aria is a song for one of the leading singers in an opera.
