France has been represented at Eurovision by a total of four different broadcasting organisation : Radiodiffusion-Télévision Française ( RTF ) was the first French broadcaster to organise the French Eurovision participation ; RTF was dissolved in 1964 , and was replaced by Office de Radiodiffusion Télévision Française ( ORTF ) , who took over in 1965 . In 1974 ORTF was also dissolved , and was replaced by seven different institutions . Télévision Française 1 took over the French Eurovision participation in 1975 , and continued until 1982 , when the broadcaster withdrew voluntarily from the 1982 contest . The head of entertainment at the time , Pierre Bouteiller , said , " The absence of talent and the mediocrity of the songs were where annoyance set in . Eurovision is a monument to inanity sometimes translated as ' drivel ' . " Antenne 2 took over from TF1 in 1983 , and its current incarnation , France Télévisions , has continued to organise France 's Eurovision entry since
1982 contest
Eurovision Song Contest 1982
France in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009