NOUMEA, November 19— New Caledonia has launched its first Internet-based television, called “tatele.nc” (your TV).

The team, which consists mostly of benevolent professionals originating from local “traditional” media (newspapers, television and press agencies), made a trial run earlier this year, in May, during New Caledonia’s general elections, when they ran a series of interviews of prominent politicians.

During the official launch, promoters however told a press conference they were now gearing up for more content, including regular features, with a view to become a more permanent feature of the local, regional and international media spectrum.

 They also plan to touch on cultural, artistic, political, historical and more generally, documentary genres.

 Meanwhile, the project last month received major funding in the tune of fifteen million French Pacific Francs (CFP, about 190,000 US dollars) granted from New Caledonia’s Southern Province.

 But tatele.nc officials say they will now have to raise funds for another $830,000 US dollars in order to operate “properly”.

 This, they said, could come from either advertising or other grants from local institutions.

 No news bulletin has been announced as yet.

 Television production in New Caledonia is so far a de facto monopoly, with only one locally-produced channel, Télé-Nouvelle-Calédonie, which is the local antenna of French overseas network RFO (now part of the French government-funded public broadcast media group France Télévisions).

 Viewers however receive dozens of channels through satellite pay television CanalSat, a subsidiary of French group Canal.

(Source: Oceania Flash, PAD)