His face may not tell you anything, but his voice necessarily speaks to you! For 33 years, Stéphane Tortora has been at the helm of Sports 6 in which he comments on news and sports results. Launched in 1989, it is one of M6’s oldest shows, after turbo by Dominique Chapatte. Broadcast every Sunday at 12:30 p.m. and 8:10 p.m. after 19.45 by Dominique Tenza, the magazine recorded excellent audiences with more than 2.5 million viewers on average. For Tele-Leisurethe 61-year-old journalist looks back on this success and confides in his professional desires.
“During heritage days at M6, people want to see what I look like”
Tele-Leisure : How do you explain the longevity and success of Sports 6 ?
Stéphane Tortora: The strength of the program is that it is concise, approximately 5 minutes. It is all in pictures for quick information. Finally, the tone is direct, there is no sports jargon and I give my opinion with a touch of humor.
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How was the show born?
In June 1989, I made a model of Sports 6 inspired by 6 minutesthe news magazine all in images of the Six. My superiors told me it wouldn’t work until I changed my mind. They finally asked me to prepare a second version, produced in September of the same year, which was popular. Two weeks later, I was on the air.
How is the preparation of the numbers going?
I do 60 hours in 4 days, from Friday to Monday. I watch all sports and sometimes I have three screens at the same time. I work alone with an editor. On Saturday, we prepare the subjects from 4 p.m. to midnight. We resume editing the next day at 9 a.m. to refine it until the broadcast at 12:30 p.m. Rebelote after lunch for the evening number. It’s intense but I love it. I feel privileged.
You never appear on the air. It is voluntary ?
Yes, I prefer to step aside in favor of the info to make it more effective. My friend Nelson Monfort tells me from time to time (he imitates his voice, Editor’s note) : “You should show yourself at the end of the show that people visualize you”but I don’t have ego issues. During heritage days at M6, I’m always “popular” because people want to see what I look like. It’s fun, I admit. (He’s laughing)
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“At 61, I do 1h30 of sport a day”
You’ve been commentating on sports for over 30 years, but are you athletic?
At 61, I do 1h30 of sport a day. I started when I was 6 years old. It’s practically an addiction. In winter, I do a lot of indoor sports, but I also practice tennis, golf, skiing and even five-a-side football. I love that !
Your voice is very identifiable. Do you cultivate it?
No way ! [Il rit] But everyone says to me:You don’t talk the same on the phone“. I don’t realize it. At one time on Europe 1, Cyril Hanouna – whom I knew when he replaced Michaël Youn in Morning Live -, chambered me on the air, imitating my voice. Once, in a pizzeria in the 8th, I found myself next to him. He came to kiss me saying: “I hope you don’t take it the wrong way“. I replied that it made me laugh.
