Black TV newsman is French first

Roselmack is currently a presenter with the news channel i-Tele

A black journalist has been chosen to present one of France's most popular TV news programmes.

Harry Roselmack, 32, will become the first non-white person to present a prime-time mainstream TV news programme on TF1 when he takes over in July.

Roselmack has a strong journalistic background, including working as a reporter for Radio France.

In 2005 president Jacques Chirac urged the media to hire more ethnic minority journalists after riots by Arab youths.

'Advance'

Violence broke out in several French suburbs in November, mostly in areas with a high concentration of ethnic minorities.

Amirouche Laidi, president of Club Averroes which campaigns for minority representation in the media, called it a "huge advance".

"This is like a bombshell for us - a black presenting the 8pm news on the biggest television station in France," he said.

Roselmack, who is from the French Caribbean island of Martinique, will take over from star presenter Patrick Poivre d'Arvor while he is on his summer break.