Sweet Numbers For Some, Others A Surprise

Michael Hedges November 18, 2011 Follow on Twitter

Broadcasters bank – literally – on the first big audience surveys after the summer break. It’s about the money with media buyers, contemplating the traditional retail season, adjusting their plans. But ratings are like that box of chocolates: you never know what you’re going to get.

Audience research institute Médiamétrie posted (November 17) September-October 2011 results for French national radio to the wincing of many broadcasters. There was sufficient bad news to go around, with a few exceptions. Media buyers will likely be negotiating those rates downward.

Yes, of course, RTL is, as it has been since Marconi, the top rated national radio channel in France. Its 11.7% market share was down, though, from 12.1% in the same period one year on. RTL also turned in its lowest market share in five years.

On the other side of the street, French public radio general interest channel France Inter rose to 9.7% market share from 8.9% year on year. Not a record, still number two; and the general director is happy.

Indeed, the results were good for all French public radio channels. The France Bleu network continues to attract listeners, rising to 6.5% aggregate market share from 5.7%. Rolling news channel France Info posted its greatest market share in more than six years, 4.1% up from 3.4% in the same period 2010. France Culture, now almost entirely speech-based, rose to 1.5% market share from 1.1%. France Musiques was also up, just a shade.

Taken all together Radio France channels posted their biggest aggregate market share in years, 23.8% up from 21.1% one year on. “These are our best results in eight years,” said Radio France general director Jean-Luc Hees in a statement (November 17). The public radio channels have “performed well despite the new ways people consume information.”

Overall listening in the September-October period was off slightly to 81.1% from 81.6% one year on, though stable from the April-June period 2011. Aggregate time spent listening gained one minute to 173 minutes. In other words, basic listening levels haven’t changed much compared with the same period last year. (See France national radio audience charts here

Along with RTL’s market share loss was a further tepid result for the other commercial general interest channels. Europe 1 (Lagardère) held third place overall, posting a 7.8% market share, down from 8.1% one year on. Would be news/talk challenger RMC gained but a shade to 6.0% from 5.9%.

“We will make adjustments, not changes,” said in-coming Lagardère Active chairman and CEO Denis Olivennes noting the Europe 1 results, quoted by 20minutes.fr (November 17). The Europe 1 line-up has changed considerably over the last year. M. Olivennes joined Lagardère but two weeks ago, coming from retail (Fnac) and publishing (Nouvel Observateur).

Only three of the nine so-called commercial music channels gained market share. Top rated thereof was NRJ, which seems in full recovery from three year-long doldrums. The legacy youth market channel rose to 6.2% market share from 5.8% one year on, holding 5th place. RTL2 gained a tad for 2.9% market share as did bottom of the pile MFM to 0.7%. Skyrock was unchanged at 4.0%.

The rest of the music channels dragged down the commercial radio sector, which in aggregate fell to its lowest market share in nearly 10 years, 71.8%. Oldies channel Nostalgie dropped to 8th place in the national survey with 4.2% market share, down from 4.6% one year on. Cherie FM was the biggest loser among all national channels, falling to 2.3% from 3.2% market share. Nostalgie, Cherie FM and Rire & Chansons, which also lost market share, are owned by NRJ Group.

All of the Lagardère radio channels – Europe 1, Fun Radio, RFM and Virgin Radio – lost market share. Fun Radio dropped to 4.0% from 4.2% one year on. RFM, which targets women with ‘80’s music, fell to 2.8% market share from 3.1%. Virgin Radio dropped to 2.1%, lowest in its brief and tortured existence.

See also in ftmKnowledge

Media in France

French audiences are moving fast to every new platform. Mobile and Web media challenges the old guard while rule makers seek new directions. Media life in France... and a few secrets. includes updated Resources 140 pages PDF (November 2011)

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Europe's Radio - Western Europe

Opportunity meets tradition in Western Europe's radio broadcasting. Change has come fast and yet oh, so slowly. This ftm Knowledge file contains material and resources on public and private radio broadcasting in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands and Switzerland. 156 pages. Resources. PDF (December 2011)

Order here