Listeners Pare Down Choices, Scan More Local Stations

Michael Hedges April 28, 2022 Follow on Twitter

The media world continues scanning every possible data point for evidence that recovery from the coronavirus and resulting business disruptions has arrived. Facts can be troubling. There’s streaming, social media and, even, Elon Musk. It’s all so exhausting. Typically focused on local markets, radio broadcasters are something of an exception. Their world, too, faces challenges.

Just a week after releasing January-March national audience estimates, French measurement institute Médiamétrie published (April 28) radio listening data for the Greater Paris (Ile-de-France) region. It bares repeating: Paris plus its surrounding area is not France, except when it is. On the whole, radio listening in the Paris region pitched slightly lower; 64.4% of 13 years and older population from 65.2% year on year. Overall listening was was down even with coronavirus lockdowns lifted and “dense news around the presidential election and the war in Ukraine,” noted media news portal Pure Medias (April 28). Time spent listening was also slightly lower. More noticeable for radio broadcasters Monday through Friday listening in the prime morning hours was far lower; 35.7% aggregate share from 37.1%. (See more about media in France here)

Main national public radio channel France Inter held its lead, which was no surprise. What startled some French media watchers was its size; 16.6% audience share, up from 13.6% one year on. France Inter is a general interest channel; lots of news, talkshows and features. With similar programming, RTL held the second position, dropping to 11.8% audience share from 13.%. RTL is now owned by the TF1/M6 merged group. Third place went to Radio France national all-news channel France Info. Considering the plethora of news through the period this, too, was not a surprise but, again, the size caught attention; 7.7% audience share up from 6.8%. (See Greater Paris Ile-de-France radio audience trend chart here)

Two national channels that were ahead of France Info a year ago, also largely speech-based, totally crashed. Europe 1 dropped to 6.0% audience share from 7.5% year on year. RMC fell to 5.5% audience share from 7.9%. Europe 1 is unofficially operated by Canal+/Vivendi as its takeover of Lagardère remains incomplete. Sports and talk channel RMC, owned by Altice, continues to suffer with branding issues.

Firm as a rock at 6th place was legacy national hit music channel NRJ; 3.9% audience share up from 3.3%. Everybody knows NRJ and what it does. The channel draws a line separating the fluid middle of the Greater Paris radio market. Public radio channel France Culture took 7th place with 3.4% audience, down from 4.3% one year on. National rap/hip hop music channel Skyrock climbed to 8th place from 10th; 3.4% audience share from 2.8%.

Three channels tied for 9th place with 3.2% audience share. Classical music Radio Classique grew from 2.2% year on year. Public alternative music channel FIP, with a strong Paris-orientation, dropped from 3.9% audience share. Legacy oldies channel Nostalgie was off slightly.

Beneath that line were several local stations, all gaining audience share; Radio Latina, Oui FM, Tropiques FM and TSF Jazz, with public channel France Musique in the middle. Suffering for listeners thereafter were several middling national channels; Fun Radio, RTL2, Virgin Radio, RFM andCherie FM

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