When News Is Serious Fun Rises Quickly

Michael Hedges January 28, 2016 Follow on Twitter

Serious news is all around, every day. Media outlets rise to the occasion informing, certainly, and reflecting public anxieties. But the popular reflex also seeks reassurance and, often, relief. People find what they need, when they need it, many places.

When French measurement institute Médiamétrie released national radio audience estimates for the November-December period the obvious became apparent. “The attacks that rocked Paris reactivated the news reflex,” said ozap.fr (January 20) reporting the results. Greater Paris (Il-de-France - IDF) audience estimates, released a week later for the September-December period, revealed much the same.

The aggregate audience share for national general interest channels rose, year on year, to 41.7% from 41.3% with average time spent listening up one minute. These are the five news and talk channels typically found at the top of Médiamétrie’s national charts. Gains were not spread evenly, national rankings unchanged.

The top ranking channel in the national results was, as it has been, RTL. Its audience share, year on year, dropped slightly to 11.5% from 11.7%. Up noticeably was public general interest channel France Inter, 9.9% from 9.5%, for second place. Mostly talk Europe 1 also gained, 7.4% from 7.2% and third. Public regional network France Bleu, on aggregate, ranked 5th, down slightly to 6.5%. Sixth place in the national ranking went to news and talk channel RMC, up slightly at 6.4%.

The same national general interest channels - less France Bleu - captured 42.7% audience share on aggregate in the Greater Paris (IDF) survey, up from 40.0% one year on. Nearly all the gain was attributed to France Inter, up to 12.4% audience share from 9.8%, still number two. Top rated RTL’s audience share in the IDF survey dropped to 12.9% from 13.4%. Europe 1, third, posted 8.9% audience share for no change. RMC also gained for 4th place to 7.3% audience share from 7.0%.

Categorized as a “thematic channel,” public all-news channel France Info ranked 9th nationally, audience share rising to 3.7% from 3.4%, one year on. In the IDF survey, it ranked 5th, audience share dropping to 4.6% from 4.9% on year on. A poor showing during the Charlie Hebdo terrorist attack last January followed by industrial action by journalists led to the softer, feature-oriented news format reverting to, mostly, all hard news.

National audience share for public Radio France channels, on aggregate, rose to 24.0% from 23.8% with average time spent listening up five minutes, Monday through Friday. Commercial channels - local, regional and national - gained aggregate audience share in the national survey, 71.6% from 71.2%. Radio France channels gained aggregate audience share in the IDF survey, 24.5% from 23.0%. Audience share for commercial channels in the IDF survey dropped, on aggregate, to 71.4% from 72.7%.

Ranked 4th - again - in the French national survey was legacy hit music channel NRJ, audience share dropping slightly to 6.7% from 6.9% year on year. To the awe of many, Fun Radio (RTL Group) jumped to 7th spot on 5.5% audience share, up from 3.6%. The dance-oriented pop music channel gained audience share throughout last year on immersion in bubbly fun targeting teens. Also up significantly was Virgin Radio (Lagardère), 2.8% audience share from 2.2% one year on. It, too, is rather bubbly. French radio listeners “quickly returned to lighter music programmes with the approach of year-end celebrations,” noted ozap.fr (January 20).

Suffering in the wake of Fun Radio and Virgin Radio were hip-hop rap channel Skyrock, falling to 3.1% from 3.7% year on year in the national survey, and pop-rock RTL2, which shed even more to 2.5% audience share from 3.2%. Skyrock and French rappers have been engaged in something of a Twitter battle in recent months. RTL2 has adjusted the music format more toward an urban edge.

NRJ fell rather significantly in the IDF survey, 4.5% audience share and 7th place from 5.0% and 5th place year on year. Fun Radio ranked 15th in the IDF survey, up slightly to 2.0%. Virgin Radio’s audience share gain to 1.9% from 1.2% brought it to 16th place. Calm seemed to attract Greater Paris music listeners: Radio Classique ranked 8th, Cherie FM 9th and France Culture 10th.

Paris being the an urban center, Skyrock placed 7th in the IDF survey, up to 4.4% audience share from 4.1% one year on. Local station Radio Latina ranked 11th overall, unchanged at 2.3% audience share. National oldies channel Nostalgie took the biggest hit of all in the IDF survey, falling to 2.0% audience share from 3.1%.

In presenting breaking news public radio channels, it appears, have that edge of seriousness. Commercial channels are perceived, and used, differently. “Before, radio was there to track the news live,” observed RMC owner NextRadioTV CEO Frank Lanoux to lepoint.fr (January 20). “Today, there are many more ways to get information.”

See also in ftmKnowledge

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, Liechtenstein, Netherlands and Switzerland. 244 pages. Resources. PDF (September 2013)

Order here

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 147 pages PDF (November 2011)

Order here