Silver Lining For Public Broadcaster in Gloomy Audience Survey

Michael Hedges July 22, 2022 Follow on Twitter

The media world simply moves from one disruption to the next. In easier times these would be more graceful passages, concentrated on fulfilling wants and needs as well as profits. Radio broadcasting, most evidence shows, is far from crashing and burning, unlike newspapers or, even, digital media. Radio holds a certain safety, so far.

The spring (April-June) 2022 French national radio audience estimates were released this week (July 21) by Médiamétrie, the research provider. On initial examination, the biggest French radio broadcasters survived Covid-19 lockdown disruptions and other social distractions. But radio listeners are slowly and steadily slipping away. “Gloomy,” headlined news agency AFP (July 21). French media watchers all tended to agree.

The percentage of persons 13 years and older listening to broadcast radio skidded to 71.2%, slightly below 71.3% in the same period one year on. A decade ago (2012) radio reached 82.1%. Average time spent listening, another oft cited measure of radio health, dropped to two hours 37 minutes, 6 minutes lower than a year ago and 18 minutes short of the same period 2012.

National commercial channels on aggregate dropped to 64.9% audience share from 66.5% year on year. The loss, according to the data tables, appears to have accrued to public broadcaster Radio France. Its aggregate audience share grew to 30.2% from 28.5%. These results are “timely” for Radio France, wrote Le Monde (July 21), as the National Assembly begins debate next week on financing issues. “Our successes are proof that the French trust us, and that they turn to us.” said Radio France president Sibyle Veil. Aggregate audience share for community stations and “other” were essentially unchanged.

Public general interest channel France Inter strode to 14.5% audience share, up from 12.6% one year on, for a definitive leading position. Commercial general interest channel RTL (M6 Group) struggled to hold second place; 12.3% audience share, slightly up from the same period last year. The audience share difference between the two competitors widened to 2.2% audience from 0.5%. The period was a blockbuster for radio channels invested in news and information; two contentious political election rounds, a major heatwave mid-June, a football stadium riot and lots of talk about growing price inflation. At the very end of the period, Radio France unions went on strike.

All this news also pushed RMC into 4th place; 6.2% audience share from 5.8% year on year. Public all-news channel France Info moved into 5th place; 5.0% audience share from 4.3%. Regional public network France Bleu did not benefit, slipping into 6th place with 4.8% audience share, down from 5.9%. Wounded by everything, it seems, was Europe 1, in the midst of an ownership transfer. It fell to 9th place in the national survey; 3.3% audience share, down from 4.1%.

Legacy hit music channel NRJ held 3rd place overall and leadership among the statutory national music channels, 6.4% audience share, slightly down from 6.5% one year on. Oldies channel Nostalgie, also part of NRJ Group, held 7th place; 4.6% audience share, up from 4.2%. HipHop rap channel Skyrock crashed to 8th place, something of a surprise; 3.3% audience share from 4.2%. Actually, Skyrock, Europe 1 and RTL2 tied at 3.3% audience share. RTL2 is a pop/rock oldies channel, owned by M6 Group. Public channel France Culture and commercial channel Cherie FM (NRJ Group) gained audience share one year on. Commercial classical music channel Radio Classique and always changing Fun Radio were lower.

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