RTI 2
RTI 2 is an Ivorian public television channel focused on younger audiences and programming with a strong Abidjan and national-community orientation.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
RTI 2 is a television channel operated by Radiodiffusion-Télévision Ivoirienne, Côte d'Ivoire's public broadcasting organization. The service is positioned as a younger-skewing companion to RTI's principal television channel and has historically combined local news, interviews, entertainment, cultural programming, sport, and topical formats. Its identity has changed several times since its launch, reflecting shifts in transmission coverage, scheduling, and the role assigned to a second public television service. The channel began broadcasting experimentally in November 1983 under the name Canal 2. Unlike the existing RTI service, its initial coverage was concentrated on Abidjan and nearby areas. Early transmission was limited, with programming available only on Tuesday and Friday evenings from approximately 8:30 p.m. The original transmitter reached roughly a 50-kilometre radius, making the service primarily an urban and metropolitan channel rather than a nationwide broadcaster. On 1 November 1991, the service was reformatted as TV2. It continued using the existing transmitter but moved to VHF channel 10 and expanded its technical reach to approximately 150 kilometres. RTI described the channel as a proximity service for Abidjan, emphasizing local relevance and closeness to its initial audience. Its audience grew after the introduction of a new schedule in March 1997, followed by a further redevelopment in 1999. The creation of a regular second channel was associated with Amadou Thiam, a former ambassador of Côte d'Ivoire to Morocco who had served under President Félix Houphouët-Boigny. During the early 2000s, TV2 was affiliated with the French-language service of TVAfrica, a pan-African television network that operated from 1998 to 2003. This relationship formed part of the channel's international and continental programming environment, while La Première, another RTI service, was identified as a sports affiliate. By the late 2000s, TV2 was carrying a mixture of interviews, current affairs, entertainment, and satire. One notable format was Le Direct, a weekly animated satire of local and international events inserted into the interview program Il faut le dire.... The program was presented by writer Claude-Frank About, who also served as TV2's director from 2006 to 2011. The format was introduced as part of a schedule revision in March 2008. The service experienced a technical interruption in April and May 2009 when power to its transmitter was cut. At that time, the transmitter was operating below 4 kW, illustrating the infrastructure constraints that affected its terrestrial reach. The channel was rebranded RTI 2 in 2011, giving it a more explicit relationship to the RTI institutional brand and establishing the name by which it is now generally known. RTI 2's terrestrial footprint expanded beyond Abidjan in Easter 2014, when its over-the-air signal began reaching Bouaké in central Côte d'Ivoire. Until that expansion, the channel's terrestrial distribution had been limited to Abidjan. Didier Bléou became the channel's director in May 2016. In 2025, he was succeeded by Mariam Coulibaly. RTI 2 remains an active RTI television service, with a brand proposition centered on younger viewers, local accessibility, and a broad general-interest schedule.
History
RTI 2 originated as Canal 2, an experimental second television service of Radiodiffusion-Télévision Ivoirienne. It began broadcasting in November 1983, with a deliberately limited geographic and scheduling profile. The service was designed primarily for Abidjan and its surrounding area, unlike RTI's established channel, and initially transmitted within an approximately 50-kilometre radius. Programming was available only on Tuesday and Friday evenings from about 8:30 p.m., making the early service closer to a restricted metropolitan experiment than a full-scale national channel. The service was reorganized on 1 November 1991 and relaunched as TV2. It retained the earlier transmitter but used VHF channel 10, with its nominal coverage increasing to around 150 kilometres. RTI presented TV2 as a proximity channel for Abidjan, a role that distinguished it from the broader public-service remit of the main RTI channel. The development of a regular second channel was linked to Amadou Thiam, who had been an ambassador of Côte d'Ivoire to Morocco during the administration of Félix Houphouët-Boigny. TV2's schedule and audience developed during the 1990s. A new schedule launched in March 1997 helped increase viewership, and the programming structure was redeveloped again in 1999. In the early 2000s, the channel became an affiliate of the French-language service of TVAfrica, a continental television network that operated between 1998 and 2003. The affiliation placed TV2 within a wider African television ecosystem. La Première, another RTI service, was associated with sports programming during the same period. By 2008, TV2 carried general-interest programming that included interviews, topical discussion, and entertainment. Its schedule included Il faut le dire..., an interview program presented by writer Claude-Frank About. A segment within that program, Le Direct, provided a weekly animated satire of local and international events. The format was introduced in a March 2008 schedule revision and became one of the channel's better-known programs. About served as TV2's director from 2006 to 2011, combining an editorial and management role during a period of programming development. The channel also faced technical limitations. In April and May 2009, its transmitter lost power and operated with a power level below 4 kW. The interruption highlighted the practical constraints of terrestrial broadcasting and the uneven reach of the service. In 2011, TV2 was rebranded RTI 2. The new name tied the channel more directly to the RTI family and gave it a clearer identity as the broadcaster's second television service. RTI 2's terrestrial distribution expanded in 2014. Around Easter of that year, the channel's signal began reaching Bouaké in central Côte d'Ivoire. Before this expansion, its over-the-air availability had been confined to Abidjan, so the Bouaké rollout represented an important step toward a wider national footprint. The service continued to be characterized by programming intended to appeal to younger viewers while retaining the broad content mix associated with a public television channel. Didier Bléou was appointed director in May 2016. He remained associated with the channel's leadership until being followed by Mariam Coulibaly in 2025. RTI 2 is an active Ivorian television brand whose development has involved successive names, schedule revisions, technical changes, wider terrestrial distribution, and a continuing emphasis on youth-oriented and locally relevant programming.
- 2025
Mariam Coulibaly becomes director
[1]Mariam Coulibaly succeeds Didier Bléou as director.
- 2016
Didier Bléou appointed director
[1]Didier Bléou takes over as director in May.
- 2014
Terrestrial expansion to Bouaké
[1]The channel's over-the-air signal begins reaching Bouaké, extending distribution beyond Abidjan.
- 2011
Rebranding as RTI 2
[1]TV2 adopts the RTI 2 name and becomes more visibly integrated into the RTI brand family.
- 2008
Le Direct enters the schedule
[1]The animated topical-satire segment Le Direct is introduced within Il faut le dire... during a March schedule revision.
- 1997
New schedule increases audience
[1]A schedule introduced in March contributes to audience growth; the format is subsequently redeveloped in 1999.
- 1991
Service relaunched as TV2
[1]Canal 2 is reformatted as TV2 on 1 November, using VHF channel 10 and expanding its nominal reach to approximately 150 kilometres.
- 1983
Experimental broadcasting begins as Canal 2
[1]The second RTI television service starts broadcasting in November, initially targeting Abidjan and adjacent areas with a limited weekly schedule.
Products and positioning
A public-service Ivorian television channel with a younger audience focus, historically rooted in Abidjan proximity programming and later expanded through terrestrial distribution to other parts of Côte d'Ivoire.
Television channel · 1983
RTI 2 television channel
RTI 2 is an Ivorian public television service aimed particularly at younger viewers. Its programming has included local and international news, interviews, topical discussion, entertainment, cultural content, satire, and sports-related material. The channel began as a restricted Abidjan-area service and later extended its terrestrial availability to Bouaké and other parts of Côte d'Ivoire.
Brand decisions
2014
Expansion of terrestrial coverageStrategyBackground
Before 2014, RTI 2's over-the-air signal was limited to Abidjan.
Action taken
The channel extended its terrestrial signal to Bouaké in central Côte d'Ivoire around Easter.
Aftermath
The distribution footprint expanded beyond the Abidjan metropolitan area.
2011
Adoption of the RTI 2 brandStrategyBackground
The channel had operated for many years under the TV2 name within the RTI broadcasting structure.
Action taken
The service was rebranded RTI 2.
Aftermath
The new name established a clearer connection with the RTI public-broadcasting brand.
1991
Reformatting of Canal 2 as TV2Generation changeBackground
The experimental Canal 2 service had limited programming and a restricted metropolitan signal.
Action taken
RTI relaunched the service as TV2 on 1 November, moved it to VHF channel 10, and increased its nominal coverage.
Aftermath
The service became a more regular proximity channel for Abidjan and its surrounding region.
Recent events
- 2025
Mariam Coulibaly succeeds Didier Bléou as director[1]
Leadership change
Mariam Coulibaly became director of RTI 2 in 2025.
- 2016
Didier Bléou appointed director of RTI 2[1]
Leadership change
Didier Bléou was appointed director of RTI 2 in May 2016.
- 2014
RTI 2 extends terrestrial broadcasting to Bouaké[1]
Other
Around Easter 2014, RTI 2's over-the-air signal reached Bouaké in central Côte d'Ivoire for the first time, extending the service beyond Abidjan.
- 2011
TV2 is rebranded RTI 2[1]
Product generation
The television service adopted the RTI 2 name, strengthening its identification with Côte d'Ivoire's public broadcaster.
- 2009
RTI 2 transmitter suffers a power interruption[1]
Other
Power to the channel's transmitter was cut during April and May, while the transmitter was operating at less than 4 kW.
- 1997
TV2 expands its schedule and audience[1]
Other
A new schedule introduced in March 1997 contributed to audience growth, with another schedule redevelopment following in 1999.
- 1991
TV2 is introduced as the channel's new format[1]
Product generation
On 1 November 1991, Canal 2 was reformatted as TV2, moved to VHF channel 10, and expanded its nominal terrestrial reach.
- 1983
RTI 2 begins broadcasting under the Canal 2 service[1]
Other
The channel began experimental broadcasting in November 1983, initially serving Abidjan and nearby areas with a limited weekly schedule.
Sources2 sources
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