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World Radio Day 2023: what you need to know about France's favourite medium
Translations are provided as a service to Arcom users and are supplied “as is”, throught the DeepL tool. Consequently, only the text of the original version is authentic.
What is the best equipment for listening to the radio? How is it used? And why are we so attached to this medium?
Key figures to remember
3/4
3 out of 4 French people (75%) listen to the radio or to audio content such as podcasts or music, either shown live or available on demand.
2h37
On average, the French listened to radio 2 h 37 per week, in September-October 2022.
Over the November-December 2022 period, the medium attracted 39.3 million listeners.
65%
The radio set with terrestrial reception (FM or DAB+) remains the main mode of listening compared with Internet listening: 65% of listeners listen most often to the radio via this channel, compared with only 35% via the Internet.
+2 points
In 2021, 15% of individuals are equipped with a DAB+ device (+2 points in one year). In addition, 14% have a car radio compatible with DAB+ reception (+1 point since 2020).
100%
By 2021, 100% of people aged 13 and over will own at least one radio listening device, with computers the most widespread (87%).
Why are the French so attached to this medium?
In total, 75% of French people aged 12 andover listen to the radio or to audio contentsuch as podcasts or music, shown live or available on demand, with or without a contract.
The radio remains the main mode of listening, compared with listening via the Internet. Listening on the radio is mainly motivated by satisfaction (75%) and habit (70%).
Radio appears to be the most credible medium (54%), ahead of the press (52%) and television (49%), according to La Croix's annual barometer, carried out with Kantar Public-onepoint and published at the end of January 2023.
History of radio
In 2021, radio celebrated the 100th anniversary of the first radio broadcasts from the site of the Eiffel Tower and the 40th anniversary of the liberation of the FM band.
🗓️ Find all the major dates in radio history at https://t.co/SmM1B7XSKr, including the 39-45 period, which was also a war of the airwaves 👇 #fetedelaradio pic.twitter.com/vAZ0DLAL0C
- Fête de la Radio (@FeteDeLaRadio) April 29, 2021
Chronology of radio in France
Key dates in French radio via the Institut National de l'Audiovisuel(INA).
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The future of radio
Roch-Olivier Maistre, president of Arcom, took part in the round-table discussion organized by the French senate's Commission for Culture, Education and Information on Wednesday, January 25, 2023, entitled "What future for radio in the DAB+ era?"
Focus on digital terrestrial radio or DAB+.
Digital terrestrial radio, or DAB(Digital Audio Broadcasting), is a digital modulation and transmission technology for radio. Deployed in many European countries, it is particularly successful in the UK, Scandinavia (Norway) and Switzerland. This technology enables around thirteen radio services to be shown on the same frequency.
Unlike DTT for television, it has the advantage of being able to cohabit with radio's "traditional" broadcasting method, i.e. the FM band. In this way, digital terrestrial radio can work in tandem with FM diffusion, just as DTT quickly replaced analog television diffusion in France.
On the same subject
24 January 2023
First digital terrestrial radio trials in overseas France
For the first time, digital terrestrial radio, or DAB+, will be tested for nine months in the French overseas territories.
07 November 2022
Deployment of digital terrestrial radio in France: DAB+ multiplexes start up in Angers, Caen and Le Mans
Arcom has set the start date for DAB+ authorizations in the local allotments of Angers, Caen and Le Mans, and in the extended allotment of Caen and Le Mans. Find the list of radios available in DAB+ in each of these zones.
25 January 2023
Arcom's 2023-2025 strategic project: Building tomorrow's audiovisual and digital regulation
On Monday January 23, Arcom Chairman Roch-Olivier Maistre presented the Authority's strategic plan for 2025 at the 2023 New Year's event.