Best France Télévisions Podcasts (2024)

1
Spain's La Tomatina 9:56

2h ago9:56

9:56

In 1945, a fight broke out between two groups of teenage boys during a parade in the Spanish town of Buñol in Valencia. The boys ended up throwing tomatoes at each other. They decided to repeat the deed every year on the anniversary of the first fight, defying disapproving looks from older neighbours and even bans by the city council. Eight decades…

1
India’s first female bartender 9:59

1h ago9:59

9:59

In 1996, an Indian government minister said that the work of women serving in bars "is not suited in our Indian culture”. There were protests and restrictions on women working in bars up until 2007 when a ruling lifted restrictions and saw female bartenders in India become headline news across the world. Shatbhi Basu became known as India’s first f…

1
Art of Europe: Michelangelo — Rick Steves Art Bite 6:36

18h ago6:36

6:36

The Renaissance master sculpted "David" and the "Pietà," painted the Sistine Chapel ceiling, and designed the majestic dome of St. Peter's Basilica. For European travel information, visit https://www.ricksteves.com.By Rick Steves

1
Nazis in Egypt 9:07

1h ago9:07

9:07

After World War Two, Egypt’s government recruited thousands of Nazis and their collaborators to bolster the country’s defence and security. This was part of Egyptian President Nasser’s efforts to modernise the country and present himself as the leader of the Arab world in its conflict with Israel. Johann Von Leers was one of Adolf Hitler’s Nazi pro…

1
The celebrity murder case that divided France 9:56

1d ago9:56

9:56

In 2003, the French rock star Bertrand Cantat murdered his actress girlfriend, Marie Trintignant. The attack happened in Lithuania where Marie had been shooting a film. Cantat was sentenced to eight years, but was released after just four and returned to music. Journalist Michelle Fines tells Vicky Farncombe how the case divided opinion in France w…

1
Saving lives after the 2002 Bali bombings 10:07

1h ago10:07

10:07

Two bombs ripped through the Kuta area of the Indonesian island of Bali on 12 October 2002. 202 people were killed. 28 burns victims were taken to Royal Perth Hospital, Australia, where plastic surgeon Professor Fiona Wood worked. She led a team working to save patients suffering between two and 92 percent body burns using ‘spray-on skin’. Professo…

1
How the CIA caught ‘Carlos the Jackal’ 9:05

13m ago9:05

9:05

Ilich Ramírez Sánchez, known as ‘Carlos the Jackal’, carried out bombings, killings and kidnappings. Born in Venezuela, he was considered one of the most notorious political militants of the 1970s and 80s. After years on the run, he was captured in the Sudanese capital Khartoum in 1994. Former CIA operative Billy Waugh tracked him down. He spoke to…

1
Sukarno: The founding father of Indonesian independence 8:57

7d ago8:57

8:57

On the morning of 17 August 1945, the Indonesian nationalist leader, Sukarno, read out a statement declaring independence. It was broadcast to the country on radio and it came just two days after Japan’s surrender at the end of World War II. The announcement marked the culmination of years of struggle against Dutch colonial rule, which had lasted f…

51
The last ever Olympic art competition 10:12

1d ago10:12

10:12

From 1912 until 1948, you could win medals in art at the Olympic Games, in categories such as architecture, literature, music, painting and sculpture. At the London Games in 1948, Canadian composer John Weinzweig won a silver medal for his composition, Divertimento for Flute and Strings. Rachel Naylor speaks to his son, Daniel Weinzweig. Eye-witnes…

1
Clara Nunes: Queen of Samba 9:07

11d ago9:07

9:07

Singer Clara Nunes is an icon of African Brazilian culture and known as the Queen of Samba. Her first samba song Ê Baiana was released in 1973. In 1974, the release of the song Conto de Areia secured her a place in history. Clara sold more records than any other Brazilian woman had before. She's considered to be one of the greatest samba singers of…

1
Art of Europe: Secular Medieval Art — Rick Steves Art Bite 5:19

4d ago5:19

5:19

Art in service to religion was joined by a new aesthetic, reflected in grand city halls and fanciful tapestries celebrating life's earthly pleasures. For European travel information, visit https://www.ricksteves.com.By Rick Steves

1
The first televised US presidential debate 9:56

4d ago9:56

9:56

In 1956, the two largest US parties agreed to participate for the first time in a televised debate ahead of the presidential elections. But instead of incumbent President Dwight D. Eisenhower and his Democratic opponent Adlai Stevenson, the audience watched two female representatives defending their candidates. Former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt a…

1
President Richard Nixon resigns 8:54

5d ago8:54

8:54

On 8 August 1974, Richard Nixon became the first US president in history to resign from office, following the Watergate scandal. This scandal began with a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in 1972, which was linked to Nixon’s re-election campaign. The release of tapes from within the White Ho…

1
Ronald Reagan and the Moral Majority 8:58

16d ago8:58

8:58

In 1979, the Moral Majority was launched and changed the course of US politics. It was set up to promote family values by religious conservatives from Catholic, Jewish and evangelical Christian communities. It urged Protestants, in particular, to go against the tradition of separating politics and religion. It encouraged them to vote Republican. Ri…

1
Bush v Gore: The election decided in the Supreme Court 8:58

7d ago8:58

8:58

The US presidential election of 2000 was one of the closest and most contested in history. It was more than a month before the result was decided after a Supreme Court decision. It all came down to the vote in Florida, where irregularities and technical problems added to the confusion. In the end it's thought there were just a few hundred votes in …

1
The Situation Room photograph 9:03

8d ago9:03

9:03

Pete Souza was Chief Official White House Photographer during Barack Obama's presidency. His photo from when Bin Laden was killed by US soldiers in 2011 has become one of his most famous. He tells Uma Doraiswamy what that day was like leading up to the moment when he took the photo. Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History i…

1
Ice Bucket Challenge 10:02

11d ago10:02

10:02

In 2014, the ice bucket challenge craze took over the internet. Millions of people including sports stars and celebrities filmed themselves being doused in ice cold water for charity. Nancy Frates' son Pete helped to make the ice bucket challenge become a phenomenon. Nancy tells Gill Kearsley the poignant story of how the challenge went from a simp…

1
The 1965 Freedom Riders of Australia 9:56

13d ago9:56

9:56

A warning for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander listeners - this programme contains the names of people who have died. Nearly 60 years ago, a group of university students set out on a bus to challenge the discrimination of Australia’s indigenous people. Led by Sydney University’s first indigenous undergraduate, Charles Perkins, they toured nort…

1
Finding a home for Bulgaria's dancing bears 8:57

15d ago8:57

8:57

In 1998, brown bears were declared a protected species in Bulgaria and the ancient tradition of forcing them to dance for people's entertainment became illegal. A veterinarian called Dr Amir Khalil helped establish a bear sanctuary in the country, to look after the retired animals. In this programme, first broadcast in 2018, he spoke to Farhana Hai…

1
Yazidi genocide: A rescue mission on Mount Sinjar 9:06

14d ago9:06

9:06

When Islamic State (IS) militants took control of Syria and Iraq in June 2014, the entire Yazidi population in Sinjar were immediately in grave danger. The Sunni Muslims of IS believed Yazidis were infidels and should either convert to Islam or be killed. On 3 August 2014, 5,000 Yazidis were killed on the first day of the genocide. For those who su…

1
The man who smuggled punk rock across the Berlin Wall 9:11

18d ago9:11

9:11

In 1983, punk rock was strictly forbidden in East Berlin. However, that didn’t stop young music obsessive Mark Reeder, from Manchester in the UK, smuggling cassettes, and then a punk band across the Berlin Wall. Mark shares how he arranged for the West German band, Die Toten Hosen, to perform illegally at a secret concert in a church. This episode …

1
Art of Europe: Gothic Church Art — Rick Steves Art Bite 6:51

18d ago6:51

6:51

The artistic works and relics that filled the churches of the Middle Ages carried messages that packed a religious, political, and emotional punch. For European travel information, visit https://www.ricksteves.com.By Rick Steves

1
The first cold chain vaccination storage system 9:01

28d ago9:01

9:01

In 1974, Ghana pioneered a new system which would help in the roll-out of the immunisation of serious diseases across Africa and the rest of the world. The World Health Organisation chose the country to trial its cold chain system, to help keep vaccines for often deadly diseases refrigerated. It would later evolve into the storage systems used to c…

1
Building the Moscow Metro 8:58

29d ago8:58

8:58

More than 10,000 Russian workers built the first line of the Moscow Metro which opened in 1935 to great fanfare. The spectacular stations were designed to show the world the power and possibility of Russian strength. Stalin wanted architects to design stations to be 'palaces for the people', with statues and structures built to make people look up …

1
Olympics: Zamzam Farah at London 2012 10:02

20d ago10:02

10:02

At the London 2012 Olympics, the Somali sprinter Zamzam Farah became a crowd favourite after finishing last in her 400m heat by 27 seconds. Zamzam had grown up in war-torn Mogadishu, where she had to dodge violence while training on the so-called ‘Road of Death’. She competed with her body fully covered, but, after the Olympics, her family in Somal…

1
The first Olympic ‘mascot’ 9:53

1M ago9:53

9:53

After being designed in one night, Shuss, the cartoon skier, debuted at the 1968 Winter Games in Grenoble, France. Instead of ‘mascot’, the Olympic Organising Committee referred to it as a ‘character’ at the time. In the colours of the French flag, Shuss was available as a variety of souvenirs. Megan Jones speaks to one manufacturer of Shuss mercha…

1
The 1924 Paris Olympics 9:09

1M ago9:09

9:09

The last time Paris held the Olympic Games was 100 years ago in 1924. More than 3,000 athletes from 44 nations took part, of which only 135 were women, in 17 sports. Rachel Naylor goes through the BBC archive for interviews with two British medallists - the sprinter Harold Abrahams and the tennis player Kitty Godfree. Eye-witness accounts brought t…

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