In 2001, when the French digital terrestrial television system was in its developmental stage, the socialist government of Lionel Jospin asked the president of France Télévisions to consider a bouquet of public channels to be broadcast digitally, so that the public broadcaster could have involvement in this project.

The newly created France 4 proposed to present a variety of entertainment, sports, fiction, cinema and series.

On 31 March 2014, France 4 got a rebrand and started to timeshare most of its daily time with the Ludo and Zouzous blocks for children.

[9] In January 2021, a report entitled "mission flash" was submitted to the National Assembly by two deputies in favor of safeguarding France 4, Béatrice Piron (LREM) and Maxime Minot (LR), who were charged with studying the offer for young people on public service television.

[5] This report judges that "a channel dedicated to youth is a valuable asset for public television" and takes up all the arguments of those who support the maintenance of France 4.

On the 18th that same month, French president Émmanuel Macron announced that France 4 will continue airing and will not close down in August as planned.

[12][13][14] Culturebox is an online brand of France Télévisions, focusing on cultural programming, including the arts, documentaries, cinema and music.

[17] Culturebox was initially launched as a website in October 2008 by France 3 as a cultural platform,[18] offering on the internet a selection of subjects broadcast on the channel's national and regional news editions.

On 19 June 2013, the website became the cultural platform of the France Télévisions group, changing its content to offering shows (theatre plays & concerts); some of which were broadcast live.

[22] After this initial run ended, the Minister of Culture announced an extension of the channel as a time-share during the evenings on France 4, which returned to HD on terrestrial.