Being Number One Means Never Having To Explain Demographics

Michael Hedges January 16, 2013 Follow on Twitter

Nothing moves the ratings needle more than distribution. Without it, people can’t find you. But that’s only part of a broadcasters work. Being there, here and now with what people want is a minute-by-minute job, made always more interesting when those minutes are increasing.

The pre-Christmas season begins earlier and earlier, it seems. Radio listeners are off their usual routine, which in France means a fairly destabilized November-December survey period. Survey institute Médiamétrie released (January 15) a rather subdued snapshot of radio listening.

Overall listening through the period was off, slightly, year on year, to 82.5% of the population from 82.8%. Time spent listening was up to 178 daily minutes, a three-year high. Six of 19 national radio channels showed market share increases, nine were lower with four unchanged.

Public broadcaster Radio France channels, taken in aggregate, posted slightly higher listening – 24.0% from 23.7% Monday through Friday, one year on - mostly on a significant increase for regional network France Bleu. Radio France channels were disrupted two days by strike actions during the survey period, hardly worth noting except that technicians and other salaried employees have gone out this month, mostly affecting main general interest channel France Inter.

France Bleu is a network of 43 local and regional radio stations. The network now generates its own news and information, quite localized. Its 6.9% market share in the November-December survey – ranking 4th of all national channels - is up from 6.2% year on year and the highest in years.

“France Blue’s feat confirms the major and unique role of local radio and its development is a foundation for the future of Radio France,” said CEO Jean-Luc Hees in a statement (January 15).

France Inter, ranked number 2 nationally, fell to 9.6% market share from 10.0% one year on. Rolling news channel France Info and France Culture were up slightly to 3.7% and 1.4%, respectively.

Results for national commercial broadcasters were more subdued, generally. Taken altogether, the market share for national commercial channels was 71.2%, down from 71.6% one year on and the lowest in a decade. As usual, RTL remains the top ranked channel with 11.6%, down from 11.9% year on year. Europe 1 was unchanged at 7.6% market share, ranking 3rd.

Sports and news channel RMC was also unchanged at 6.6% market share, ranking 6th. The channel hit that peak in the previous November-December survey. The recent results, said Managing Director Frank Lanoux in a statement (January 15), “demonstrate the ability of RMC to compete at the top of the table and still attract more listeners, despite the lack of coverage.” RMC is not available on FM is several significant French cities.

Legendary hit music channel NRJ, however, continues its rebound from the doldrums of 2009. The November-December 7.2% market share is up from 6.3% year on year and the highest in five years. Other NRJ Group channels had mixed results. Nostalgie was sharply lower, 3.5% market share from 4.1% one year on. Soft A/C Cherie FM rose to 2.6% market share from 2.3%, the only other national commercial channel to post a significant gain. Pop-rock Rire et Chansons was off, 1.4% from 1.6%, and morning host-comedian Laurent Baffie is already gone.

Rap channel Skyrock continues to drop like a rock. Once challenging NRJ for the youth audience, it’s now ranked 7th with 3.9% market, lowest since 2005. Lagardère’s Virgin Radio - concentrating on the 18 to 24 year old market, they say - has fallen to 1.9%, lowest in its five-year history.

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