• April 25, 1957, a beylical decree created the Tunisian television broadcasting.
• 1960, a transmitter had been installed by the RAI for the retransmission of the 1960 Olympic Games, and then remained in office. Besides, a whole generation of Tunisians speaks Italian thanks to these rai programs.
• 1962, the Council of Ministers had held a working session to study a project to create a Tunisian television which would be mainly educational to be a tool at the service of the country’s progress and prosperity.
• December 15, 1963, first television broadcast in Tunisia on the occasion of the solemn celebration of the evacuation of Bizerte; The retransmission is carried out with the technical help of Italian television.
• October 1964, RTT retransmits from Bizerte the Congress of the Socialist Party Destourien whose presentation is entrusted to Malika Ben Khamsa.
• October 1, 1965, first experimental dissemination. It had lasted an hour and a quarter, was accessible to the inhabitants of Tunis and its suburbs using the Boukornine VHF transmitter which broadcast Italian television programs.
• On October 29 of the same year, a second experimental session lasts two hours and quarters. Each time the inhabitants of Tunis and its suburbs were able to attend music and theater shows broadcast live.
• On October 31, television broadcast live the first football match in its history, from the Chedly-Zouiten stadium. During the three experimental sessions, Italian programs are temporarily interrupted.
• On January 7, 1966, with the commissioning of the emperor of Zaghouan, the programs are more regular and the Tunisian press began to publish the grid of RTT programs, in parallel with that of Italian television. •
It was from that year that televisions began to be marketed in a more sustained way. They were found first in the Cafés and cells of the Destourian party, then in family homes. Sometimes we went to the neighbors and parents who had already bought their television to see a program, TV evenings … (Of course, in black and white and without remote controls. The youngest in the family acted. It was they who were asked to increase or lower the sound or change their channels for those who were lucky to have the two Italian and Tunisian channels – I make this remark for the youngest readers who did not know this time !!!))
• May 31, 1966, Tunisian television, known as RTT (إ ت ت), is officially inaugurated by President Habib Bourguiba. The first face that Tunisians will see on their TV posts is that of Naziha Magherbi TV. But oops, for a few seconds, the image was upside down! (To watch the video, click here))
In 1967, one year after his birth, Tunisian television broadcasts three hours of programs per day: two are in Arabic and one in French. In this context, she develops cooperation with French -speaking televisions, including French -speaking Swiss television which provides her programs and welcomes trainees in her studios in Geneva. The same year, she broadcast and broadcast the Mediterranean Games organized in Tunisia to Mediterranean TVs. During the first two years of emissions, not having a VCR, the RTT broadcasts its programs, whose fictions, live. So imagine the soap operas live, as if the actors were in the theater, without having the right to make mistakes!
• 1968, Om Kalthoum had spent 10 days in Tunisia. She had been very well received by all Tunisians: citizens, artists and even president of the Republic. She had inaugurated a street bearing her name.
The RTT had followed her and his two concerts had been broadcast on television, to the delight of Tunisian spectators.
• Around 1974/1975, the first color TVs arrived in Tunisia. But of course, only for RAI programs or French shows broadcast on RTT!
• At the end of 1976, Tunisian television began producing its color programs.
• In 1977, she played in color the first edition of the World Cup under 20 under 20 organized in Tunis. In June of the same year, the RTT film laboratory began to develop color films.
• In 1978, the sale of color TVs took off to follow the matches of the World Cup in Argentina, in which Tunisia participated.
• On June 12, 1983, the RTT was renamed RTT 1 with the launch of the RTT 2, a television channel in French, the fruit of cooperation between Tunisia and France. Every evening between 8:30 p.m. and 11:00 p.m., RTT 2 broadcast varieties, fictions and some cultural programs. It will be replaced in 1988, on the same network by Antenne 2 which was authorized to broadcast its programs on this same network of 6:30 a.m. until the end of the programs until the end of October 1999, when Canal 21 (which since 1994 issues on the same channel for more than two hours) obtains the exclusive use of the network.
• In December 1987, Tunisian television began to broadcast advertising for the first time.
• With the change in the Presidency of the Republic on November 7, 1987, the chain became TV7 (قناة 7) in 1992, then Tunis 7 in 1997 and from May 23, 2008, it took the French name from Tunisia 7 to the fall of Zine El-Abidine Ben. • On January 17, 2011 on the occasion of the Revolution, the chain changes again to become national Tunisian television 1 (التلفزة التونسية -الوطنية), then from July 25 to December 31, 2016, it becomes Tunisia Watanyya 1, and Watanya 1 since January 1, 2017.
Naziha Zidi Maghrebi and Nabiha Ben Smida TV
• At the creation of the chain, four speakerines are chosen from 27 candidates: Naziha Maghrebi, Nabiha Ben Smida, Afifa Ben Achour and Fekria Gharbi. Shortly after, Salwa Ayachi, Lilia Ben Dekhil and Wahida Belhaj join the group. Later, there are Daâd Hamadi, Beya Zardi, Kaouther Bechraoui, Yosra Saïdi, Boutheina Jebnoun, Lilia Mezni and Samia Maghrebi (RTT2 transfer). The speakery had been recruited after competition. They were either graduates or students. Speakerins disappear from the antenna with the launch of satellite diffusion.
Abdelaziz El Iroui presents his tales in the program “H’kayet El Aroui” (/Caption) In these times, TV fulfilled a role of awakening and education and helped the State to apply the policies implemented, such as family planning. The programs were of quality. Those who had participated in the creation of the TV were motivated, enthusiastic, felt involved … They believed there and wanted to take up the challenges … great figures of culture had been recruited, such as the actor, director and director of the municipal theater troupe of Tunis Aly Ben Ayed. Culture was an essential goal of television. The concerts that Om Kalthoum had given in Tunisia, Abdelhalim Hafez and Fairouz had been broadcast on TV, to the delight of all Tunisians. Even foreign shows were of quality, such as the French cult show Screen folders Expected by a very large number of Tunisians. Without forgetting the Haj klouf, ommi traki, amti aicha rajel, mahal chahed, chaneband the series that made the happiness of all children: Kammouchawith the unforgettable Abdessalem El Bech !!
Abdessalem El Bech in his role as Kammoucha, the adaptation of the novel “A good little devil” by the Countess de Ségur. (/Caption) What young people do not know and may not even design, is that TV only emitted a few hours a day, and not continuously as currently. In 1966: from 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. In early 1980s: 5.30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. and Sunday from 2 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Then, gradually, we started earlier, to finish later. It was only since May 2007 that Tunisian TV has been expressed continuously, without interruptions.
