They’re Still Binging On News

Michael Hedges July 20, 2011 Follow on Twitter

It has been a remarkable year for the news media. Local, national and international events of stinging scale have riveted people to media outlets, many rising to the occasion. And everybody just wants to keep on top of it all.

April to June listening figures released by French measurement institute Médiamétrie for the national audience (July 12) and greater Paris audience (Ile de France July 19) show news and news/talk channels continuing to attract. Overall listening in the national survey rose to 81.1% from 11.9%, year on year, and time spent listening up to 176 minutes per day from 170 minutes. The Ile de France listening results were different; the aggregate share of all channels falling to 78.8% from 80.7%, one year on. Time spent listening in the greater Paris region April to June dropped one minute to 166 minutes.

Radio powerhouse RTL continued to top the ratings. In the national survey the general interest news and talk channel posted 12.1% markets share, up from 11.9% year on year. RTL’s market share in the greater Paris region soared to 13.9% from 12.1%.

Public news and talk channel France Inter remained in second place in the national survey, market share rising slightly to 9.6%. In the Ile de France survey France Inter moved up second place though its market share dropped slightly to 10.4%. The channels of public broadcaster Radio France rose on aggregate to 22.5% market share from 21.9% in the national survey and to 21.7% from 20.7% in the Ile de France survey.

Among big news items relevant in France during the survey period were the arrest of ousted Côte d'Ivoire leader Laurent Gbagbo, a terrorist arrack in Morocco injuring several French people, the beatification of Pope John Paul, the end of Osama bin Laden, a royal marriage in the UK, the E.coli outbreak in Germany and, of course, the arrest of International Monetary Fund president Dominique Strauss-Kahn. There was a lot of news.

News and talk channel RMC, on a roll for more than a year, dipped slightly to 5.6% market share and 6th place in the national survey and 5th place in the greater Paris region with 6.1% market share, up from 5.6% on year on. Public rolling new channel France Info placed 6th in the Ile de France with 4.6% market share, up from 4.2%. In the national survey France Info ranked 10th, slight up to 3.7% market share. Regional Radio France network France Bleu ranked 4th in the national survey with 6.1% market share, up from 5.9% one year on.

Things have not gone so well for news and talk national channel Europe 1. Leadership and staff changes that began last year continue to plague, though it held 3rd place in both the national and Ile de France rankings, dropping to 7.3% market share from 7.7% nationally and 8.7% from 9.5% in the greater Paris region.

Legacy hit music channel NRJ seems to have recovered from the doldrums of 2009, rising to 5th place nationally with 5.9% market share from 5.5% one year on. Less impressive was the results in greater Paris where the channel dropped to 4.0% market share from 4.2%. NRJ’s big competitor for teen listeners, Skyrock, dipped to 5.0% market share from 5.2% in the national survey and really diving in the Ile de France region to 6.2% from 6.9% one year on.

Audience shifting was clearly more evident in the Ile de France region than in the national survey. Local Paris station Radio Latina jumped to 8th place with 3.2% market share, up from 2.3% year on year. Other local stations bumping up include the street-wise Radio Nova and Tropiques FM. (See Ile de France audience graph here)

Oldies but goodies national channel Nostalgie dropped to 2.9% market share from 3.4% in the Ile de France region. It was down just a shade in the national survey to 4.1% market share. Pop-rock (lots of Phil Collins music) RTL2 showed very well in the greater Paris region, increasing to 2.0% market share from 1.2% one year on. In the national survey it was after NRJ the only other music channel to see a significant market share gain.

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)

Order here

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