"Seventy-five percent of the (France 24 website) hits came from France, Belgium and Switzerland, 15% from North America (with an estimated 100,000 hits from the U.S.) and 10% in other European countries (with a clear majority in the U.K.)." Hollywood Reporter, 8 December 2006. "France 24 can now be seen in Europe (via Astra 1KR at 19.2° East), the UK and Ireland (via Eurobird1 at 28.5° East), Africa (via NSS7 at 22° West), the Middle East (via ArabSat BADR-3 at 26° East and via Nilesat at 7° West) and the US." DMAsia.com, 7 December 2006. Parts of the France 24 schedule can be seen on MHz Networks, terrestrial analogue channel 56 (WNVC) in the Washington, D.C., area, and 24/7 on MHz Network digital terrestrial channel. MHz Networks press release, 6 December 2006. "Even as France 24 went on the air to reclaim the cultural high ground, American culture was striking deep in the heart of Paris. An American monster-truck show had come to the City of Light as part of a European tour and had caught on big with French youngsters, especially the boys." Scripps Howard, 8 December 2006. "Ooh look, the first advert is for a Citroen. Yeah, that's French. I'm relieved now." Gareth Cartman, Paris Link, 6 December 2006. "The French government does not expect 2007 advertising revenue to exceed $4 million, and the channel is not expected to become profitable." Bloomberg, 7 December 2006. Jacque Chirac: "It is indispensable that a great country like France should be able to have its vision of the world and broadcast this vision." Aljazeera.net, 7 December 2006. Chirac spokesman: "If you don't try to be present in the world in a dynamic way, then the world will ignore you. You have to show that you are somebody." Washington Post, 7 December 2006. "English-speaking anchors refer to the station by its French name - "'France vingt-quatre,' not 'France twenty-four.'" AP, 6 December 2006. "The network has a budget of 86m euros (£58m) a year. That compares with 900m euros for CNN." BBC News, 6 December 2006. Spokesman for socialist presidential candidate Royal Ségolène denounces France 24 as a waste of public funds because there is already a similar international channel, TV5 Monde. AFP, 8 December 2006. Radio France International CEO Antoine Schwartz welcomes France 24 but, given the existence of France 24, RFI, TV5, and Canal France International, says the French government should "définir une stratégie cohérente et optimiser les moyens." Le Monde, 8 December 2006. Handy list of the 24-hour news channels. AFP, 7 December 2006.