La Trois

La Trois, meaning “The Three,” is a Belgian national television channel operated by Radio-télévision belge de la Communauté française (RTBF), the French-language public-service broadcaster of Belgium. The channel forms part of RTBF’s television portfolio and is positioned as a non-commercial public-service outlet with a strong emphasis on children’s and youth programming, culture, documentaries, archive material, films, series, accessibility, and alternative forms of news presentation. The channel was officially launched on 30 November 2007 as part of RTBF’s digital terrestrial television rollout. At launch, La Trois largely functioned as a television extension of RTBF Sat, RTBF’s former international service. Its schedule consisted mainly of retransmissions, live simulcasts, and repeats of programming from RTBF’s principal channels, La Une and La Deux, together with selected films, documentaries, and cultural programmes. In this early phase, La Trois did not yet operate as a fully differentiated domestic channel, and much of its identity was inherited from RTBF Sat. RTBF Sat closed on 15 February 2010. La Trois temporarily retained much of the former service’s programming during a transition period, before undergoing a major programming reorientation on 25 September 2010. From that point, the channel developed a more distinct public-service role. Daytime hours were devoted primarily to children’s and youth content under the Ouftivi identity, while evening programming focused on cultural material, documentaries, films, series, archival programmes, and selected news and informational content. The channel also became a home for programmes that might not fit the schedules or priorities of RTBF’s larger general-interest services. A notable feature of La Trois is its accessibility mission. The channel broadcasts RTBF’s principal evening news bulletin, JT 19h30, with sign-language interpretation and subsequently offers a later repeat without the sign-language presentation. It also carries youth-oriented news, including Niouzz, a news programme designed specifically for children. These services reflect La Trois’s role not simply as a secondary entertainment channel but as a public-service platform intended to broaden access to information and culture. La Trois is distributed through digital terrestrial television, satellite, cable, and IPTV. It previously had limited analogue terrestrial distribution from the Tournai transmitter on UHF channel 60 using the PAL system, but that arrangement was phased out during Belgium’s transition to digital broadcasting. The channel does not operate as an advertising-led commercial service in the manner of RTBF’s principal generalist channels, reinforcing its distinctive cultural and educational positioning. In August 2023, RTBF renamed the children’s service Ouftivi as Auvio Kids TV. The change aligned the children’s offering with Auvio, RTBF’s streaming platform, while La Trois continued to provide a schedule combining children’s programming during the day with cultural, documentary, archive, film, series, and accessibility-focused programming later in the day. La Trois therefore occupies a complementary position within RTBF: it serves specialist public-service audiences, supports children’s media and cultural programming, and provides programming formats that differ from the broadcaster’s main channels.

La Trois was created within RTBF’s television portfolio during the broadcaster’s move toward digital terrestrial distribution. It officially began broadcasting on 30 November 2007, at the same time that RTBF introduced its digital terrestrial television service. Rather than immediately presenting a fully independent editorial identity, the channel initially reproduced much of the schedule associated with RTBF Sat, RTBF’s international television service. This included live simulcasts, repeats of programmes produced for RTBF, and selected films, cultural programmes, and documentaries. Sports programming associated with RTBF Sat was not retained as a defining part of La Trois’s schedule. The channel’s initial identity changed after RTBF Sat closed on 15 February 2010. La Trois continued much of the inherited programming for several months while RTBF prepared a new schedule. On 25 September 2010, it began operating with a more clearly differentiated domestic public-service mission. Its daytime schedule was organized around children’s and youth programming under the Ouftivi brand, replacing the long-running Ici Bla-Bla children’s offering that had previously been associated with La Deux. Evening hours were devoted to cultural programming, documentaries, films, series, archive material, and selected repeats from RTBF’s wider catalogue. This reorientation gave La Trois a role within RTBF comparable to specialist children’s and cultural services elsewhere in European public broadcasting. Rather than competing directly with La Une and La Deux as a broad general-interest channel, La Trois provided programming for younger audiences and for viewers seeking cultural, educational, archival, or internationally oriented content. The channel also carried original-language films and series with French subtitles, supporting access to international audiovisual work. Accessibility became another important aspect of the channel’s public-service function. La Trois carried the main JT 19h30 news bulletin with sign-language interpretation and later repeated the bulletin without that presentation. It also broadcast Niouzz, a news programme made specifically for children and young people. These programmes extended the channel beyond entertainment by providing age-appropriate information and access-oriented broadcasting. La Trois was distributed through digital terrestrial television and through satellite, cable, and IPTV platforms. It had previously been available for a period through analogue terrestrial transmission from the Tournai transmitter on UHF channel 60 using PAL, but analogue distribution was phased out during the transition to digital broadcasting. The channel’s schedule and service model emphasized public-service programming rather than commercial advertising. On 28 August 2023, the children’s brand Ouftivi was renamed Auvio Kids TV. The change reflected RTBF’s effort to connect its children’s content more closely with Auvio, its streaming platform. La Trois consequently continued as an RTBF channel combining daytime children’s and youth content with evening cultural, documentary, film, series, archive, and accessible news programming. Its continuing importance lies in its specialist remit within Belgium’s French-language public broadcasting system rather than in commercial scale or a standalone corporate structure.

• 2023

  Ouftivi becomes Auvio Kids TV

  [1]La Troisen.wikipedia.org

  RTBF renames the channel’s children’s block Auvio Kids TV on 28 August, linking the service more closely to the Auvio streaming brand.

• 2010

  RTBF Sat closes

  [1]La Troisen.wikipedia.org

  RTBF Sat ceases transmission on 15 February. La Trois temporarily retains much of the former service’s programming while RTBF prepares a new channel identity.

• 2010

  Dedicated programming structure introduced

  [1]La Troisen.wikipedia.org

  On 25 September, La Trois begins its own differentiated schedule, combining children’s programming during the day with cultural and documentary programming in the evening.

• 2007

  Official launch

  [1]La Troisen.wikipedia.org

  La Trois begins broadcasting on 30 November as part of RTBF’s digital terrestrial television service. Its initial schedule is closely based on RTBF Sat programming.

A non-commercial French-language Belgian public-service channel specializing in children’s and youth content, culture, documentaries, accessible news, films, series, and archive programming.

• Public-service television channel · 2007

  La Trois television channel

  The core La Trois service is a French-language Belgian public-service television channel operated by RTBF. Its schedule combines children’s and youth programming, films, series, cultural programmes, documentaries, archival content, repeats, and accessible news. The channel is distributed through digital terrestrial television, satellite, cable, and IPTV. It is designed to complement RTBF’s principal generalist channels rather than duplicate their commercial or mass-audience positioning.

• Children’s programming block · 2023

  Auvio Kids TV

  Auvio Kids TV is RTBF’s children’s programming identity carried during the daytime schedule associated with La Trois. It was previously known as Ouftivi and was renamed in 2023 to connect the offering with RTBF’s Auvio streaming platform. The block serves children and young viewers and forms one of the principal pillars of La Trois’s specialist public-service remit.

• Children’s news programme

  Niouzz

  Niouzz is a news programme specifically produced for children and young people. It presents current-affairs content in a youth-oriented format and supports La Trois’s educational and public-service mission.

• 2023

  Rename Ouftivi as Auvio Kids TVGeneration change

  Background

  RTBF increasingly used the Auvio name for its streaming and digital video activities, creating a reason to align its children’s offering with that platform identity.

  Action taken

  On 28 August 2023, the Ouftivi children’s block was renamed Auvio Kids TV.

  Aftermath

  The renaming connected La Trois’s daytime children’s programming more visibly with RTBF’s wider digital-video ecosystem.

  Source

• 2010

  Move from RTBF Sat continuity to a dedicated public-service scheduleStrategy

  Background

  La Trois initially operated largely as a continuation of RTBF Sat, but RTBF Sat closed in February 2010. RTBF used the following transition period to redefine La Trois as a domestic specialist channel.

  Action taken

  From 25 September 2010, RTBF introduced a schedule centered on children’s and youth programming during the day and cultural, documentary, film, series, archive, and accessible news programming during later hours.

  Aftermath

  The change established La Trois as a differentiated public-service outlet within RTBF rather than simply a relay of another channel’s international schedule.

  Source

• 2023

  Ouftivi is renamed Auvio Kids TV[1]La Troisen.wikipedia.org

  Product generation

  On 28 August 2023, RTBF changed the name of its children’s block from Ouftivi to Auvio Kids TV, aligning the service’s identity with RTBF’s Auvio streaming platform.

• 2010

  La Trois adopts a dedicated children’s and cultural programming identity[1]La Troisen.wikipedia.org

  Product generation

  Following the closure of RTBF Sat and a transition period, La Trois introduced its own programming structure on 25 September 2010. Daytime programming was centered on Ouftivi, while evening schedules emphasized culture, documentaries, films, and related public-service content.

• 2007

  La Trois launches as part of RTBF’s digital terrestrial television service[1]La Troisen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  RTBF officially launched La Trois on 30 November 2007. The channel initially carried programming closely related to the former RTBF Sat international service, alongside retransmissions and selected RTBF content.

1. 1La Troisen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Official La Trois websitelatrois.be