If there is one person who has spanned the ages and generations on television, it is Philippe Bouvard. The one that started in 1965 on Radio Luxembourg is in fact still on the air 59 years later. Radio Luxembourg, which subsequently transformed into RTL, will have accompanied the entire career of the native of Coulommiers. It was in 1977 that this will take a major turning point with the launch of Big heads. A show that will become cult.
Philippe Bouvard in search of the record
Sixty years of career, a symbolic number for the presenter to the most infectious laugh of the PAF. He actually spoke during an interview, in which he explained the reason why he wanted to stay on the air until 2025. “ Because on January 1, I will have established the double record that I hoped for, that is to say 60 years of radio and 60 years of RTL.”
Philippe Bouvard therefore has very clear ideas about how he wants to finish. A desire to close the loop on a medium that he particularly appreciatedhe who also spent several years on television: “I would really like to have this one (this record, editor’s note), because, I won’t hide it from you, I really liked the radio, and the radio gave it back to me.”
Tributes flourish
Since this announcement, the entire profession has obviously decided to pay tribute to the sacred monster of the PAF that is Philippe Bouvard. Sixty years of professional career, it is an unrivaled and probably unrivaled longevity. It is also the reflection of a man who knew how to adapt and always stay connected to his times.
Régis Ravinas, the president of RTL, was one of the first to speak out about his historic presenter who “revolutionized radio” before continuing: “We understand his choice, but (…) Philippe knows that he belongs forever to the RTL family.” Gauthier Hourcade, the program director, also had his say, speaking of a “erudite pioneer of humor on the airwaves” with a “lively, independent and impertinent mind”. Messages that will go straight to the heart of Philippe Bouvard, but certainly not enough to make him lose his head.
