Télévision Tunisienne 1
El Watania 1, also known as Télévision Tunisienne 1, is Tunisia’s first public national television channel.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
El Watania 1 is Tunisia’s first public national television channel and the flagship terrestrial service of Télévision Tunisienne, the country’s public broadcasting organization. The channel’s institutional history begins with the development of Tunisian television during the 1960s, when the country moved from occasional relays and technically assisted broadcasts toward a permanent national service. Its earliest television transmission is associated with the December 15, 1963 celebration of the evacuation of Bizerte, carried out with technical assistance from Italian television. Experimental programming followed in 1965 from the Boukornine transmitter, initially reaching Tunis and nearby areas. These early sessions included live music, theatrical material, and the channel’s first live football broadcast, staged at the Chedly-Zouiten Stadium on October 31, 1965. Regular transmission became more feasible after the Zaghouan transmitter entered service in January 1966, and the service was formally inaugurated on May 31, 1966 by President Habib Bourguiba under the name Radiodiffusion-Télévision Tunisienne, generally abbreviated RTT. During its first years, the channel operated with limited production resources and a mixed Arabic- and French-language schedule. In 1967, it broadcast approximately three hours daily, with programming divided between the two languages. It also developed cooperation with other Francophone broadcasters, including Télévision Suisse Romande, which supplied programming and accepted Tunisian trainees at its Geneva facilities. The channel carried major national and international events, including the 1967 Mediterranean Games held in Tunisia. Because video-recording technology was not yet available to it during its first two years, even fiction and other scheduled material were transmitted live, illustrating the production constraints of the early service. The station gradually expanded its technical capabilities. Production vehicles capable of color work were acquired in 1975, color programming began to be produced toward the end of 1976, and the channel broadcast the 1977 FIFA World Youth Championship in color from Tunis. In June 1977, the RTT film laboratory also began processing color film. The 1978 FIFA World Cup, in which Tunisia participated, helped accelerate consumer interest in color television receivers and reinforced the importance of the national broadcaster as a shared source of live sports and public information. The channel’s name changed repeatedly as Tunisia’s broadcasting structure and political environment evolved. After the creation of RTT 2, the original service was renamed RTT 1 in 1983. Television advertising began in December 1987. It became TV7 in 1992, Tunis 7 in 1997, and Tunisie 7 in 2008. These later names reflected the political identity associated with the country’s presidency and ruling configuration at the time. Following the 2011 Tunisian Revolution and the fall of President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, the service adopted the name El Watania 1, emphasizing a national rather than presidential identity. It is also commonly described in French as Télévision Tunisienne 1. Today, El Watania 1 functions as a general-interest public television service. Its broad remit encompasses news and public-affairs coverage, cultural and entertainment programming, locally produced content, and live or recorded coverage of national events and sports. As the principal channel within Télévision Tunisienne’s public broadcasting portfolio, it has played a central role in the development of Tunisia’s television infrastructure, from experimental transmissions and live-only production to color broadcasting and a modern national channel identity. Detailed current corporate, executive, financial, and programming information is not established by the supplied reference material.
History
The history of El Watania 1 is inseparable from the creation of Tunisia’s national television system. The first televised transmission associated with Tunisia took place on December 15, 1963, during the official celebration of the evacuation of Bizerte. Italian television provided technical assistance for that relay. In 1964, Mohamed Mzali was appointed director-general of Radiodiffusion-Télévision Tunisienne, or RTT, and was tasked with establishing a permanent national television service. RTT subsequently tested its capabilities through a series of experimental broadcasts. The first experimental session occurred on October 1, 1965, and lasted approximately one hour and fifteen minutes. It was received in Tunis and surrounding areas through the Boukornine VHF transmitter, which also carried Italian television programming. A second test, on October 29, lasted roughly two hours and fifteen minutes. Live music and theatrical performances were among the material used during the experimental period. On October 31, the service transmitted its first live football match, from the Chedly-Zouiten Stadium. These experiments temporarily interrupted Italian broadcasts while Tunisian programming was carried. The launch of the Zaghouan transmitter in January 1966 allowed broadcasts to become more regular, and Tunisian newspapers began publishing RTT schedules alongside those for Italian television. The service was formally inaugurated on May 31, 1966, by President Habib Bourguiba. Naziha Maghrebi became the first announcer to appear during regular programming, although her debut was briefly affected by an image-orientation technical problem. In 1967, the new service broadcast around three hours each day, with two hours of Arabic-language material and one hour in French. It also pursued exchanges with French-speaking broadcasters, including Télévision Suisse Romande, which contributed programs and hosted Tunisian trainees. RTT’s early production was constrained by the absence of video recorders. For its first two years, programs including fiction were transmitted live. The broadcaster began a major technical transition in the mid-1970s. It acquired its first color-production vehicles in 1975, began producing color programs near the end of 1976, and broadcast the 1977 FIFA World Youth Championship in color from Tunis. The RTT film laboratory began developing color film in June 1977. Tunisia’s participation in the 1978 FIFA World Cup contributed to a sharp rise in public interest in color television sets. The launch of RTT 2 led to the original channel’s renaming as RTT 1 in 1983. Advertising was introduced in December 1987. The channel then underwent a sequence of identity changes: TV7 in 1992, Tunis 7 in 1997, and Tunisie 7 in 2008. These names were connected to the political symbolism of the period and to the identity of the presidential regime. Following the 2011 revolution, the channel was renamed El Watania 1, a title intended to express a national public-service identity. The service remains part of Télévision Tunisienne and is also widely known as Télévision Tunisienne 1.
- 2011
Adopts the El Watania 1 identity
[1]Following Tunisia’s 2011 revolution and the fall of President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, the channel became El Watania 1.
- 2008
Renamed Tunisie 7
[1]The service adopted the French-language name Tunisie 7.
- 1997
Renamed Tunis 7
[1]The channel changed its name from TV7 to Tunis 7.
- 1992
Renamed TV7
[1]The channel adopted the TV7 identity.
- 1987
Television advertising begins
[1]Commercial television advertising was introduced in December.
- 1983
Renamed RTT 1
[1]The original channel adopted the RTT 1 name after the creation of RTT 2.
- 1977
Color broadcast of the FIFA World Youth Championship
[1]RTT broadcast the 1977 FIFA World Youth Championship, hosted in Tunis, in color and began processing color film through its laboratory.
- 1976
Color programming introduced
[1]The channel began producing color programs toward the end of the year.
- 1975
Color-production equipment acquired
[1]RTT acquired its first production vehicles designed for color work.
- 1967
Early daily schedule and international cooperation
[1]The channel was broadcasting approximately three hours per day in Arabic and French and developed cooperation with Télévision Suisse Romande.
Products and positioning
Public national general-interest television channel serving Tunisia
Television programming
News and public affairs
As a public national channel, El Watania 1 provides television news and public-affairs coverage aimed at a broad Tunisian audience. The supplied reference material does not identify specific current programs, anchors, editions, or broadcast schedules.
Television programming · 1966
Cultural and educational programming
The channel’s general-interest remit includes cultural and educational material. Historically, its early schedule combined Arabic- and French-language programming and included live music and theatrical performances.
Television programming · 1965
Sports broadcasting
Sports have been part of the service since its experimental period, when it transmitted its first live football match. It later carried the 1967 Mediterranean Games, the 1977 FIFA World Youth Championship, and other nationally significant sporting coverage.
Television programming · 1963
National-event coverage
El Watania 1 and its predecessor services have served as a platform for relaying major civic, political, cultural, and national events, continuing the role established by the 1963 Bizerte broadcast and later public ceremonies and live transmissions.
Brand decisions
2011
Rebranding as El Watania 1StrategyBackground
The rebranding followed the Tunisian Revolution and the fall of President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, after a period in which the channel’s names were closely associated with the political order.
Action taken
The service changed its name from Tunisie 7 to El Watania 1.
Aftermath
The new identity positioned the channel as a national public broadcaster rather than a service identified with the former presidential regime.
1987
Introduction of television advertisingStrategyBackground
The public broadcaster expanded the commercial dimension of its television operation.
Action taken
Television advertising began in December 1987.
Aftermath
Advertising became part of the channel’s operating model, although no financial results are established by the supplied sources.
1983
Creation of the RTT 1 identityStrategyBackground
The establishment of RTT 2 required a distinct identity for the original national television service.
Action taken
The original RTT channel was renamed RTT 1.
Aftermath
The service continued as the first channel and later underwent further identity changes.
Sources2 sources
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