The second channel of the RTF emits for the first time experimentally on January 1, 1964. The broadcast of a daily program, complementary to that of the first channel, starts on April 18, 1964. After the replacement of the French radio and television (RTF) by the French Broadcasting Corporation (ORTF) on June 27, 1964, the channel becomes the second channel of the ORTF on July 25, 1964. On October 1, 1967, it is the first French channel to switch to color and takes the name of the second color channel of the ORTF. Following the break-up of the ORTF at the end of 1974, it gave way on 6 January 1975 to the new national broadcasting company Antenne 2.
The law of 2 August 1989 establishes a joint presidency of the two public channels, Antenne 2 and France Regions 3, while maintaining a legal separation of the two channels1. The aim is to promote a common strategy and ensure the complementarity of programs between the two channels2 in order to cope with the rise of private TF1 and M6 groups, and the development of thematic channels.