Even though radio remains a powerful medium, its audience continues to decline. The audiences announced by Médiamétrie on Thursday April 18 show this. From January to March, the radio recorded 69.1% cumulative audience (AC), or 38.7 million daily listeners, compared to 71.4% a year earlier, or nearly a million listeners in less.
Far from these concerns, France Inter remains the leading radio station in France, with 12.8% AC, or 7.18 million listeners every day, with 144,000 additional pairs of ears over one year. The station thus marks its historic record. “This validates our strategy and clearly shows that the controversies are disconnected from what the French think”welcomes the director, Adèle Van Reeth, in reference to critics regularly accusing public service radio of being too left-wing.
France Inter’s performance is even better given that general broadcasts are in decline and are losing nearly 250,000 listeners in the space of a year. RTL (from the M6 group), second at 9.6% of AC, is paying the price by losing 0.5 points and refuses to make any comments.
“Popular alternative to the society of letting off steam”
Another station on the podium, but in significant decline, Franceinfo lost 0.4 points (− 165,000 listeners) in one year, reaching 8.5% AC. “We maintain a significant base of 4.76 million listeners”, tempers Jean-Philippe Baille. According to the station director, “heavy and anxiety-provoking news for several months, particularly on the international scene”may explain why some listeners have turned away from the continuous news broadcast.
On the musical side, NRJ, whose star host Cauet was suspended because he was the subject of three complaints for rape and sexual assault, remains fourth (7.9% AC, but 0.3 points less). Nostalgie, a radio station from the same group, jumped 0.8 points, reaching 6.3% AC.
RMC remains at 5.6% AC, even if the management of the Altice group radio prefers to note that its listening time gains ten minutes. Same philosophy at France Bleu, stable at 4.9%, where the bleeding seems to be stopping. “Our good results demonstrate that our antennas are a popular alternative to the dumping society”insists Sibyle Veil, CEO of Radio France, also welcoming the record level of France Culture over this period, at 3.4%.
“Freedom of tone”
Finally, Europe 1 confirms, for the third time in a row, that it is continuing its slow rise, after several seasons of free fall. “We’re doing it step by step, but it’s constant and robust growth”praises Constance Benqué, the president of Lagardère News.
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