Martin Ajdari's speech at the "Assises de la radio" conference
Check against delivery,
Ladies and gentlemen, dear friends of radio,
Welcome to these Assises, which we are delighted to organize, and thank you for coming in such large numbers. You know my attachment to this special medium, which is at once: a mass medium (with almost 39 million daily listeners); the medium of intimacy, of mobility; the medium of proximity (10 million daily listeners to local radio stations in France and overseas France). And also a medium for "crisis" and solidarity which, as we saw in Mayotte, is the only one that works when nothing else works. And last but not least, a trusted source of information.
These are the specific features that make it so much stronger than anonymous, remote platforms, where algorithms and AI take the place of human voice and animation; and also its price in terms of the health of our democracy, which needs free, bonding media where certain so-called social networks live on misinformation and antagonism. This is undoubtedly the source of the French people's attachment to this medium. Romain Laleix (who, with talent and determination, took over from Hervé Godechot as chairman of the "Radio and digital audio" working group) will present the results of our latest study, entitled "The French and radio", which confirms the strength of this bond.
But let's face it: the traditional form of radio (linear terrestrial diffusion) is being challenged. It's not a jolt, but a profound movement. The White Paper describes the causes perfectly - the rise of Internet Protocol listening - and the consequences, which are the same as in television: drop in cumulative daily audience (-14.5 points since 2003); in average listening time per listener (nearly 20 min); in advertising revenues (by 2% on average per year between 2012 and 2022).
The "battle for attention" is raging. Everywhere. The drop in listenership, particularly among youngsters, is a reality that cannot be denied, but it is not inevitable: after all, thirty years ago, some were predicting the end of general-interest radio due to the rise of musicals. Yet, as our study shows, the promise of radio - proximity, discovery and interactivity - has never been more relevant. I am therefore convinced of the need for development, adaptation and complementarity strategies to win back audiences, revenues and margins. Offensive strategies that involve pulling (all together) two main levers:
The first is modernised diffusion, i.e. continued deployment of DAB+. This is the only means of increasing the supply in a context of saturation of the FM band; of guaranteeing the universality of radio (its free, accessible nature); of controlling distribution (without intermediaries, or capturing revenues or personal data). All the while improving service quality.
Your efforts in this direction are bearing fruit: almost 65% of the French population (and some 17,000 communes) are covered by at least one DAB+ multiplex. The proportion is similar for freeways (7,000 km out of a total of 11,700 km). DAB+ is spreading, gaining ground and increasing. Of course, I'd like to tell our friends in local radio that we're well aware of the local planning model for DAB+.
As you know, the White Paper proposed a two-stage timetable: create a favorable environment for the transition between 2025 and 2027; then support the transition until 2034. I want to emphasize here that this timetable is there to guide, not to constrain, especially in an uncertain economic climate. The challenge is not to weaken the radio medium, but to expand its audience.
In this context, the changes in diffusion strategy recently announced by Radio France, once confirmed by the government within the framework of priority frequency use rights, will be carefully analyzed, particularly with regard to market balances.
It's a move that we understand is in the interests of the company, given its missions, priorities and constraints; it could also be a significant step towards preparing the sector for its digital transition. We are, of course, at the disposal of all stakeholders and the authorities to shed light on the forthcoming arbitrations, before giving our precise opinion on the demands made of us, in accordance with the law and the jurisprudence of the Conseil d'Etat.
One thing is certain: we need to speed up on the two main prerequisites identified in the white paper:
Awareness: 28% of French people have heard of DAB+, and only 11% know what it is. The numbers just aren't there. This is not a criticism: DAB+ is not easy to sell to the general public, who don't see the urgency or necessity. So it's up to all of us - public and private radio stations, regulators, national and local authorities, associations (and, of course, the "Ensemble pour le DAB+" association) - to reach out to listeners and step up our efforts to educate them.
The other prerequisite is equipment. 25% of listeners have a DAB+ radio, and only 18% have a car radio. The Lafon bill, which made provision for the mandatory marketing of DAB+-compatible equipment, is still pending. But whatever the outcome of its discussion in the Assembly, we'll need these provisions, and I hope that the examination of the EGI draft legislation will (where appropriate) offer a very close alternative.
Finally, to improve the management of these two projects (diffusion and equipment) and to have a say in the public debate, we are going to set up a follow-up group to the radio white paper, with the DGMIC and "Ensemble pour le DAB+", whose first meeting will be held before the summer.
The second development lever is the adaptation of the regulatory and economic environment for the radio medium. We will be paying close attention to three issues:
Firstly, legal disclaimers, which everyone agrees are limited in their current format. It's not a question of abandoning the objective of consumer protection, which is an undeniable counterpart to the use of the public radio domain. But we do need to find a way of achieving these objectives that is less penalizing for all concerned.
A report by several ministerial inspectorates, published a few weeks ago, envisages the removal of some of these mentions, subject to the provision of sufficient information to online consumers. Playing on the complementarities between media in this way seems to me to be a very interesting idea, which I encourage publishers to explore further, by being a driving force behind proposals. For our part, we'll support any legislative initiative that makes it possible to lighten the burden of such disclosures, without compromising public policy objectives.
I also share the concern raised by the transposition of Article 8 of the Consumer Credit Directive, which could result in the same legal disclosures becoming more cumbersome. However, this same directive makes provision for the possibility of adapting the notice to the radio format, and I see no reason to over-transpose (as they say); you can count on Arcom to carry this message.
My second point concerns the rules governing the exposure of music on radio, bearing in mind that radio is and remains a major medium for discovering new talent in the French-speaking music world. Promoting musical diversity is one of the missions entrusted to us by law, and quotas are an essential lever.
However, given the speed of development in the way musical works are discovered, prescribed and exhibited, we and the CNM have decided to take a joint approach. Because we share the same observation: the need to rethink, or update, the managerial framework for the discovery, exhibition and editorialization of musical works, in all media - public and private TV and radio, free and pay digital platforms. And to ensure that our support and regulation schemes remain relevant in a context that has undergone considerable development.
The outlines of this collective and open reflection will be specified before the summer and, as I've reserved the right to tease this out, I'll gladly let the CNM come back to it shortly. In any case, our shared ambition is to lay the foundations for a partnership-based approach that will benefit all sectors contributing to musical diversity.
A final, more forward-looking topic for regulation: the distribution of radio on the Internet. The UK has adopted regulations to protect radio stations from distributors tempted to charge them to take over their signal. With connected speakers and on-board systems, such a scheme makes sense. We are ready to work on it, with a view to the revision of the AVMS directive, which could also be an opportunity to study the advisability of extending the services of general interest scheme to radio.
In the face of all these transformations, we must all be bold and imaginative - two qualities that are part of radio's DNA, and which should enable us to look to its future with confidence. Confidence that matches the trust placed in us by the French people.
I'd now like to hand over to Romain, and wish you all a very fruitful Assises.
Speech by Martin Ajdari
- 121.47 KB
- in french