Speech by Roch-Olivier Maistre, Chairman of Arcom Opening of Assises de la radio 2023

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Ladies and gentlemen, dear friends,

I'm delighted to welcome you this morning to Arcom to open the Assises de la radio. This year marks the third edition of the Fête de la Radio, launched at the initiative of the regulator in 2021, with the sponsorship of the French Ministry of Culture. Of course, it's a great pleasure to see so many of you here to discuss the future of a medium so dear to our hearts.

As I often have the opportunity to remind you, Arcom's mission with radio operators is not limited to allocating frequencies or authorizations, or to monitoring the obligations incumbent upon them. First and foremost, the regulator works alongside broadcasters to support them in the transformation of the French audiovisuel landscape, and to facilitate their dealings with the authorities.

The aim of the Assises is precisely to bring you together, to showcase the extraordinary richness and diversity of our radio landscape, and the commitment of all those who bring to life the thousand or so radio stations that punctuate our daily lives, with teams who are always passionate about what they do.

I'd like to extend my warmest thanks to Hervé Godechot, member of the Arcom board and chairman of the radio and digital audio working group, and to all the Authority's teams involved in preparing the event. I'm thinking in particular of the Radio and Digital Audio Department headed by François-Xavier Meslon, whose staff are your key contacts on a daily basis, as well as the Communications Department headed by Marie Liutkus. I'd also like to thank all of today's speakers, who have taken time out of their busy schedules to share their experiences and thoughts with us.

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I'd like to take advantage of your presence to remind you of the many assets of a radio medium in the throes of transformation, and to emphasize the role of the regulator in supporting it as best it can in these developments.

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Radio has demonstrated its ability to adapt and innovate in the face of changes in its environment, whether technological, economic or in terms of usage.

As we all know, radio is the medium of everyday life and proximity. Nearly two-thirds of France's 40 million people listen to radio every week, for an average of over 2.5 hours a day. It's also the medium that the French trust most to keep them informed: this tangible link with the public is a precious asset.

This attachment is reflected in the level of equipment used by the French, as highlighted in our latest digital usage benchmark, produced in collaboration with Arcep. This shows that, by the end of 2021, 100% of the population had equipment enabling them to listen to the radio. Over 80% of radio listening is still done over the air, simply on a radio.

As in the rest of the audiovisuel landscape, the benchmark figures also highlight the rapid development in usage patterns, with listening methods changing, new players such as music streaming platforms arriving on the scene, and formats diversifying. Daily use of connected loudspeakers is becoming increasingly common: it now stands at 13%, up 5 points in one year. Podcasting is also growing rapidly, whether in catch-up or native format. It has really found its audience, responding to new expectations or habits, and enabling the development of new ad hoc content, sometimes more in-depth or themed - making it an opportunity for both listeners and radio stations.

In fact, it's the rise of this format that has led us, together with the French Ministry of Culture, to set up an observatory to better study this new market.

These various innovations underline the agility and capacity for innovation of the players, who, despite their diversity, are managing to unite in the face of the transformations underway. In this respect, it cannot be stressed enough how essential it is to unite: we need to join forces to face up to these changes.

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For its part, the regulator is committed to working alongside radio operators to help them make the most of these transformations and the opportunities supplied by their new digital environment.

In this respect, the deployment of digital radio, DAB+, opens up new prospects, both in terms of listening comfort and experience for listeners, and in terms of the dynamism of the landscape, by enabling the arrival of new players and original formats, and therefore new listeners, since radio is a supply medium. In addition to these well-known advantages, there are at least two others that are just as important: a favorable environmental impact, as this technology is more energy-efficient than the FM band or the Internet, and the absence of any risk of disintermediation for players.

Together with you, we have already taken decisive steps in the deployment of DAB+. Nearly 50% of the population in mainland France and 35 towns and cities with more than 150,000 inhabitants are already covered by a multiplex. A total of 562 radio stations in all categories are already showing DAB+ broadcasts. After a major milestone in October 2021 with the launch of in mainland multiplexes, other launches have taken place or are planned for 2023: I'm thinking of Reims, Troyes, Montpellier, Perpignan, Rennes, Nancy, Metz, Brest, Pau, Bayonne and Clermont-Ferrand, to name but a few.

Arcom also makes provision for extending coverage to less densely populated areas, such as Laval, Périgueux and Corsica - where I met local radio stations last week. Overseas France is also authorized to carry out trials, as has been the case in Martinique since last January.

Receiver-in-home equipment is increasing: by 2022, 15% of the population aged 13 and over will be equipped with a DAB+ set-top box, a proportion that is set to strengthen with the rollouts, in addition to the compulsory installation in new vehicles - we estimate that 4 million sets were sold during the year. In this respect, we are delighted that Senator Lafon's bill makes provision for all radio equipment to be able to receive DAB+ in the future.

DAB+ is certainly not the only answer to changes in the sector, but it is an essential asset for revitalizing the radio medium and its image. Today, this digital radio deployment strategy is clearly part of a European dynamic, with other neighboring countries at the same or more advanced stages: I'm thinking of Norway, Switzerland, the UK, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Italy.

For us in France, the challenge today is to communicate this technology not only to the general public, but also to the most influential opinion leaders, such as local councillors. Arcom is working hard on this - this Wednesday we gave a presentation on DAB+ to the members of the French National Assembly's Cultural Affairs Committee, and we are making provision for a meeting with the main radio vendors in the near future to raise their awareness. But it is also and above all up to operators to take full ownership of this issue. That's why we are delighted to announce the creation this year of the DAB+ Promotion Association. In addition to tools for informing the public about the advantages and coverage of DAB+, it is now necessary to develop audience measurement tools adapted to trends with regard to audience rates. Information is power, as the English say, and we need these elements to make collective increases.

The question of the duration of the FM/DAB+ cohabitation, which is unavoidable and gives rise to significant costs - for which we have requested financial support from the Government under the FSER - is also structuring. It should prompt us to reflect collectively on the future we imagine for this medium to which we are so attached. It's a subject for which we have no precedent, since the deployment of DAB+ in a frequency band other than the FM band, and the absence of any reallocation of this band, distinguish it from the reflection carried out for the switchover to all-digital television.

To officially launch this process, we have decided to draw up a white paper on the future of radio in France. This initiative, similar to the one launched in 2021 by the British Ministry of Culture, is being carried out in conjunction with all the players involved, including the DGMIC. The purpose of the white paper will be to draw up the broadest possible overview of the radio sector in France, notably in comparison with other European countries, and covering economic dynamics, technological transformations, the legal manager and developments in usage. We plan to deliver our conclusions in the first quarter of 2024, in the hope that they will make a useful contribution to the public debate on shaping tomorrow's radio and digital audio. At the same time, Arcom has just launched a consultation on the question of the list of services of general interest: we look forward to your contributions by July 13.

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My dear friends, our audiovisual landscape is currently undergoing a phase of major change. It naturally raises questions, and demands that we all make an effort to adapt, because the status quo is simply impossible. I am convinced that we can look to the future with confidence, because our assets, our fundamentals, are solid, and we are fortunate to have the confidence of the French people, which is priceless. Rest assured of our determination to accompany you step by step.

Thank you very much for listening and for your attention.

I wish you an excellent day.