France Bleu changes its name to Ici

This is a new habit for listeners of local public radio stations to adopt since Monday January 6 at 5 a.m.: the network of 44 antennas of Radio France, formerly France Bleu, is called Ici. This change occurs as part of a long-standing merger with France 3. On the public television channel, the Ici logo has already been present on the screen since November 5 during regional programs.

“All local Radio France stations are renamed”explained the director of the network, Céline Pigalle. So, instead of France Bleu Alsace, France Bleu Breizh Izel or France Bleu Pays de Savoie, we will now speak of Ici Alsace, Ici Breizh Izel and Ici Pays de Savoie.

“What is great for the public is that it changes everything and it changes nothingcommented M^me Pigalle. Listeners will continue to hear their hosts, their journalists, their games, their meetings. » This “new identity” brand too “a new impetus” for the network. Here will bet on “local news, music and good humor”detailed Ms. Pigalle at the end of November during a press conference in Paris, emphasizing “proximity” et “the service”.

This name change comes as France Bleu has grown in audience, with 2.59 million daily listeners (+87,000 in one year), according to the latest figures from Médiamétrie, published in mid-November.

A reform of public broadcasting on hold

The president of France Télévisions, Delphine Ernotte-Cunci, and her counterpart at Radio France, Sibyle Veil, announced in October 2023 the eventual union of France 3 and France Bleu under the Ici brand, in order to strengthen the cooperation illustrated by the joint morning shows launched in 2019.

But the installation of the Ici label aroused union opposition at Radio France as well as at France Télévisions, its adversaries seeing it as the beginnings of a pure and simple merger. Especially since a reform of public broadcasting is pending.

Pushed by the Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati, the project of joint holding and then merger of public audiovisual companies was suspended by the dissolution of the National Assembly this summer. Maintained in government, M^me Dati wants to relaunch the merger, with at least the holding project. The name change is accompanied by a press, digital and television campaign, as well as a wave of posters.