The radio audience for the 2024-2025 school year has just dropped, and that's great excitement for the stations! A dramatic twist, a general surprise and some unpleasant surprises await you. Between Europe 1 coming back from the depths and France Inter crushing everything in their path, it promises to be a season to remember. But what about the others? RTL in freefall, Nostalgia, which is a hit, NRJ on hold… In short, Entrevue takes a look at this fall's winners and losers.
Europe 1: Update with Pascal Praud and Cyril Hanouna
Europe 1, long in decline, is making a resounding comeback, growing by 300,000 listeners in one year, now amassing 2.5 million daily followers. Thanks who? Thanks to Pascal Praud and Cyril Hanouna, the network's new star recruits who are giving the station a real boost. Their arrival brings a new wind to the antenna, which was struggling to find an audience. No more falling! Europe 1 finally gets its revenge and proves that radio can still work together to become the benchmark again.
France Inter and Franceinfo: When the public service makes the law
No tension here: France's Inter reigns supreme with a record 7.2 million daily listeners! The station continues to improve with 265,000 new followers and a 15.1% audience gain. A performance that can be explained by a solid schedule and flawless news coverage. For its part, Franceinfo continues to broadcast to nearly 5 million listeners every day. It's simple, the public service flies above the competition, reassuring listeners looking for serious information and programs with specific content.
giant RTL and NRJ on their knees ?
That's where it stings. RTL, once in the lead with France's Inter, can easily slip to third place. Duet Thomas Sotto and Faustine Bollaert may be pulling out all the stops, but the takeoff is yet to come. If the private station thought they could compete with the untouchable France Inter, they need to rethink their strategy. The next few months will be decisive for RTL: whether it rises or dives further.
In the NRJ group radio clan, Nostalgie makes a strong position, growing by 350,000 listeners to a total of 3.7 million daily fans. Listeners looking for musical comfort seem to have found what they're looking for in vintage hits. NRJ, for its part, slows down with two legs with 4.2 million listeners. Will Camille Combal's afternoon contribution be enough to reverse the trend? Answer in January!
At the bottom of Europe 2's abyss, Skyrock and RMC are losing momentum
Disaster for Europe 2, which dips to 900,000 listeners despite Benjamin Castaldi's presence on the morning show. Since the departure of Camille Combal in 2020, no host has been able to keep the house afloat. It's also raging on the Skyrock and RMC side, with those stations showing big losses, reaching 3 million and 2.9 million listeners respectively, down several hundred thousand from last year. Whose fault is it? Perhaps for a young and fickle audience that will be hard to keep when competitors hit hard.
In this radio landscape where competition is raging, France Inter and Franceinfo stand out, far ahead of the slipping RTL. Europe 1 is retaliating, but the future is uncertain for others. Radio needs to reinvent itself to attract a demanding and fickle audience, ready to skip at the slightest disappointment. Next round in January to see who holds the upper hand and who risks fading.
