We feel it when listening to the very popular France Bleu Béarn Bigorre morning show. The hosts Eric Dreux and Cynthia Lafontaine, like the journalist Matthias Kern, see this trap coming which has disrupted their daily lives since Monday, November 4. On the air as in life, we no longer say “France Bleu Béarn Bigorre” but “ICI Béarn Bigorre”.
A change of marital status which tells of a national rapprochement between local public service radio and its television equivalent. In this case for Béarn, France 3 Pau Sud – Aquitaine.
“Public service radio stations have always changed their name,” recalls the new director of France Bleu Béarn Bigorre, Franck Lidon. Which replaced Joël Bitoun at the start of the school year. “We have to go back to the beginning to understand that France Bleu was born from a desire to network the territory. Blue Radio existed on medium waves but there was no network strictly speaking, everyone worked on their territory. »
“A 360 radio”
The major climatic phenomena of the end of the century precipitated the rapprochement. “At the time of the storm of 1999, Jean-Marie Cavada decided that France Bleu had to be made the state's local radio station. So that for every natural or other event that affects our sector, we have a journalist on site. This is how the France Bleu network was born, somewhat modeled on the BBC locals. »
This “Blue Plan brought together the galaxy of local public radio stations, many named after the model “Radio France Pau Béarn” and “Radio bleue”, a station which offered programs aimed at seniors in the 1980s and 1990s. The internet revolution required a new global reflection. “We had not taken exactly the right direction in our structure,” continues Franck Lidon. We had to evolve to integrate new digital formats. »
“In times of natural disasters, we realize that a station with batteries can always be useful. Radio will always make sense »
Podcasts and videos have appeared, as is the case throughout the Sud Ouest group. “We are switching to 360 radio, digital, television. Listening to the radio on the set is decreasing visibly but in times of natural disasters, we realize that a set with batteries can still be useful. Radio will always make sense. We are a real social bond. »
Since June 2022, France 3 Pau Sud – Aquitaine has been established in the same building near Place Clemenceau as France Bleu. One floor above, we prepare in the same way for the change of identity. If the France 3 brand continues, all of its regional programs will now be broadcast under the name “Ici” such as “Ici 12/13” and “Ici 19/20”.
The hope of France 3
On November 4, Philippe Martinetti, deputy director of antennas at France TV, in charge of the regional offer, insisted on reminding us that France 3 was not disappearing. “I don't want to speculate, I prefer to stick to the facts: together we are strengthening a local brand, which should allow the two media France 3 and France Bleu to have a stronger resonance. For the future, I believe in more editorial cooperation, around sport and major events, while preserving the uniqueness of the two media. »
This is also the hope of the boss of France Bleu Béarn Bigorre, for whom the merger with France 3 must create editorial and technical bridges to offer a global offer to spectators, listeners and interlocutors. The idea of a 100% filmed channel is not on the agenda, nor is a merger of editorial staff and teams. But it cannot be ruled out that other programs in the schedule will have a video version in the future.
“Let’s give it time,” concludes Franck Lidon. We are very happy to find France Télévisions again but a brand change does not happen overnight. We will each remain true to who we are. We do filmed radio but it remains and will remain radio. »
History and concerns
The first France Bleu morning shows filmed by France 3 cameras date back to 2018. Today, 37 of the 44 locals in the France Bleu network offer it. The merger into a common local public audiovisual brand was desired in 2021 by the Minister of Culture, Roselyne Bachelot. The unions have expressed their concern about what they see as the first step towards a merger of the two entities and ultimately savings of means. A France 3 inter-union called for a strike on Tuesday, November 5.
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