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Last update: 04.07.2024 - older versions

Arcom White Paper on Radio

The result of more than 30 hearings and consultations with the main players in radio, Arcom has published its White Paper on the future of radio in France, which provides a broad overview of the sector and its economic, legal and technical aspects, as well as changes in usage.

The White Paper on Radio was presented by Roch-Olivier Maistre, President of Arcom and by Hervé Godechot, Arcom member and chairman of the Radio and Digital Audio working group, at the Assises de la radio 2024 conference on Tuesday 18 June at the Arcom headquarters in Paris.

Arcom is proposing a two-phase trajectory, aiming to achieve predominantly digital broadcasting by the end of 2033 and requiring the mobilisation of the entire ecosystem:

• Phase 1: Preparation (2024-2027): Establishing a balanced radio ecosystem within a legislative and technological environment that facilitates continued digitisation under optimal conditions.

• Phase 2: Migration (2028-2033): Completing a market-initiated transition to a digital broadcasting model, six years after the preparation phase and nine years after the publication of the White Paper in 2024.

The transition will require regulation, metrics, planning, marketing and then resources.

DAB+ : a structural choice for the radio industry

Launched in 2014 in Paris, Nice and Marseille, DAB+ is now seen as critical to contribute to the future of radio and to address the saturation of FM. It is a means to preserve diversity and plurality. As DAB+ is reaching a turning point, the regulator, Arcom, is launching in 2023 a consultation with the radio industry which will include the switchover from FM to DAB+ both in the metropolitan area and overseas. The economics of radio are a key element of the expected white paper, as well as the potential acceleration of the deployment.

Deployment of DAB+

On 12 October 2021, France launched two new national multiplexes broadcasting 26 DAB+ stations, including national services from Radio France, leading private broadcasters and four new national services. The new multiplexes are broadcast along the major motorway corridors of Paris-Lyon-Marseille. The 26 services include four new DAB+ only stations and 22 stations that are also broadcast in FM. Extension to more main roads and highly populated areas is planned for the end of 2023. These 26 radios are in addition to the hundreds of radio stations already available regionally and locally on DAB+

The CSA rollout plan, the so-called "nodes and arcs strategy" described in 2017, which also includes continued regional and local rollouts alongside the launch of national services, was updated in 2021.

Arcom says that "In total, it is expected that 17 multiplexes, extended or local, will have started broadcasting during the summer of 2023. At the end of these start-ups, the coverage of the metropolitan population by DAB+ will exceed 50%."

French DAB+ Broadcast Networks Factsheet

A new factsheet on DAB+ digital radio in France has been produced for automotive manufacturers, as the country achieves over 50% DAB+ population coverage.

The factsheet from WorldDAB - the global industry forum for DAB digital radio - was produced as part of the work of its Automotive Working Group, in partnership with network operator TDF, and RadioDNS which promotes hybrid radio.

France DAB+ Broadcast Networks

Receiver legislation

Older pieces of legislation in France related to DAB+ in cars have been superseded by the transposition in November 2020 of the EECC into French legislation. This law passed the last stage and was made official in December 2020, with the transposition of the EECC into French law officially published on 28 May 2021. Domestic receivers, for which the reception function of radio services broadcast is not purely incidental, and have an alphanumeric screen, must be capable of receiving digital terrestrial radio. Discussions are ongoing to make DAB+ mandatory in all receivers.

Last update: 22.09.2023 - older versions

DAB+ digital terrestrial radio continues to roll out across France. With its arrival in towns such as Bayonne, Besançon, Brest, Clermont-Ferrand, Metz, Nancy and Pau, this summer DAB+ passed the symbolic milestone of covering 50% of the French population. A trial has also been underway in Martinique since January. With the continued roll-out of national antennas between October 2023 and March 2024, more than 60% of the population will be covered by DAB+ by early 2024.

In December 2021, the French media regulator CSA, published an updated DAB+ roadmap highlighting DAB+ developments plans for the 2022-2024 period.

According to the new roadmap, calls for applications will be launched for 50 local allotments in that period of time – these primarily concerned the cities of Dijon, Lyon, Marseille, Rennes, Caen, Nancy, Paris, Bordeaux, Clermont-Ferrand, Poitiers and Toulouse. An overseas trial has also been licensed in Martinique.

Last update: 22.09.2023 - older versions

In this country there are

on air.

French DAB+ Broadcast Networks Factsheet

A new factsheet on DAB+ digital radio in France has been produced for automotive manufacturers, as the country achieves over 50% DAB+ population coverage.

France DAB+ Broadcast Networks

Please note:

(a) These web pages are updated regularly to reflect current services on air, however they may not be exactly up to date.

(b) The logos shown on these pages are for illustrative purposes only – manufacturers and broadcasters are directed here for information on implementing station logos.

An interactive map showing all services currently on air in France, as well as those licensed to go on air, can be found at: Ma radio DAB Plus - CSA - Conseil supérieur de l’audiovisuel.

	Simulcast on AM / FM	Exclusive on digital	Total of services
DAB+ programmes	358	102	460

Last update: 18.07.2024 - older versions

In France, as of H2 2023, 98% of new cars sold are equipped with DAB+ as standard (Source: JATO Dynamics 2023).

Last update: 05.02.2021 - older versions

Receiver legislation

In December 2018 DAB+ coverage reached 21.3% of the French population, which triggered a law requiring that all radio receivers (including in-car) sold in France be compatible with the broadcasting standards (ie DAB+). This 2018 law was amended in June 2020 to align with the EECC deadline of 20 December 2020.

In November 2020, the French parliament voted in favour of a law to transpose the EECC into French legislation. This law passed the last stage and was made official in December 2020, enabling the government to take a final decree which is expected by early 2021. The decree will confirm that new passenger cars in France will be required to include digital terrestrial radio from 20 December 2020, in line with the EECC. Additional obligations regarding consumer receivers have yet to be agreed and may also be included in that decree enacting the EECC.

More detailed information is in the WorldDAB EECC Factsheet.

Last update: 04.07.2024 - older versions

La Réunion: Arcom has authorised two trials of DAB+ radio broadcasting in Saint-Denis from March 1, 2024.
La Martinique: trial authorised since January 2023 ; three sites in Martinique and 11 stations: Radio Fusion, Fusion 100 % Infos, Fusion Compas, Fusion Salsa Kl@moson, Fusion Gold, Maknet Jazz, Mixx FM Martinique, Radio Évangile Martinique, Radio Actif Martinique, Identité Radio and Martinique La 1ère.

Last update: 04.07.2024 - older versions

DAB+ regulation in France is outlined on the French Media regulator's website.

Arcom's annual report

Arcom's White Paper on the future of radio

Last update: 04.07.2024 - older versions

Ensemble pour le DAB+

“Ensemble pour le DAB+” is an association created in 2022 on the instigation of the Bureau de la Radio, Radio France and SIRTI, with the aim of setting up and coordinating communication and marketing actions around the development of DAB+, both nationally and locally. The French Ministry of Culture is a partner of the Association.

The first global campaign took place in January 2024. The objective was to raise awareness of DAB+; the reach was 70% of the French population over 13 years old with a 1000 audio spots played during a week. It was completed by a social media campaign and a billboard campaign in the Paris metro, outdoors in the Ile-de-France region and in Nantes, Strasbourg, Lyon and Lille.

DABplus.fr

The website DABplus.fr was set up to summarise the deployment of DAB+ in France. It is paid by and for stakeholders of DAB+ in France. www.DABplus.fr

Espace Group to launch Virgin Radio France on DAB+

11.04.2024 - France

Virgin Radio, "THE rock station", is coming to France on FM and DAB+. Launched by Espace Group, a major player in media and digital audio, Virgin Radio will be on air on Monday 15 April at 4pm, with a special live broadcast featuring its entire team. Virgin Radio is taking over the FM and DAB+ broadcasts of Virage Radio, an Espace Group station already firmly established with a rock programme in more than 30 French cities. Virgin Radio will broadcast its programmes on DAB+ in France's main cities (Paris, Marseille, Bordeaux, Nantes, Nice, Lille, Strasbourg, etc.) "Virgin Radio promises to broadcast the best in rock music in France's biggest cities on FM and DAB+, while remaining close to its listeners through the rock concerts it will offer them," Julien Fregonara, Managing Director of Espace Group, told La Lettre Pro de la Radio.

(La Lettre Pro de la Radio) Read more

Counting down to … Cannes

11.04.2024 - France

This has nothing to do with the most famous film festival in the world. We are counting down the days to the launch of our very own DAB+ transmitter in Cannes ! In just a few days, listeners in Cannes will be able to listen to 13 community radio stations licensed in the Nice area on DAB+ Radio, thanks to a new extension to the West of the region. The additional transmitter, purchased by World Radio Paris thanks (in part) to our listeners’ generous donations in 2023, was just installed in the hills above the city of Cannes. When powered on, it will allow full coverage of the Côte d’Azur, in addition to the existing transmitter located in Nice. The two devices will operate on the same frequency, allowing seemless reception in the car all along the coast, from St Tropez to Monaco.

(World Radio Paris) Read more

Fête de la Radio 2024 announced - 6 and 7 June

22.03.2024 - France

The Fête de la Radio organising committee is delighted to announce the 2024 edition of this iconic event, to be held on 6 and 7 June. This national celebration of radio aims to honour and recognise the intrinsic value of the medium in all its forms: FM, DAB+, web radio, internet, podcasts, and much more. The aim of the Fête de la Radio is twofold: to celebrate the resilience and innovation of radio through the ages, and to encourage reflection on its future in our digital society. By highlighting the values of radio, such as localness, accessibility and diversity, we want to strengthen the links between radio stations and their listeners, while exploring new ways of enriching and to enrich and extend the radio experience in the digital age.

(Fête de la Radio) Read more

Africa Radio reinvents a lifeline

18.03.2024 - France

Paris-based Africa Radio is a lifeline for France’s African diaspora and a critical link in profiling Africa in the country, offering total immersion in African culture, music and information. It has three FM frequencies covering the Île-de-France region and 17 DAB+ frequencies serving the country’s major cities, including Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Nice, Strasbourg and Toulouse. Last year, Africa Radio became part of the radio division of the La Manche Libre media group. Jean-Baptiste Bancaud, managing director of the group’s Normandy-based station Tendance Ouest, took over the helm of Africa Radio on July 1, with Maÿlis Leclerc de Sonis, general manager. In this interview, Bancaud discusses the change of ownership and the group’s vision and plans for Africa Radio.

(RedTech) Read more

DAB+ in La Réunion

11.03.2024 - France

Arcom's "Ma radio DAB+" reports for La Réunion that "two experiments in broadcasting radio services in DAB+ are authorised by Arcom in Saint-Denis from March 1, 2024." It is understood that the Fédération des Radios Associatives de La Réunion (FAR) multiplex is on air and includes: Radio Arc en Ciel, RIL, Kontak, ACB, Radio Soleil, Mixte 9, Salazes FM, Pikan and Sud Plus; and that 23 radio stations are licensed in total, including 15 new to the area.

(Arcom) Read more

Forget FM - this new technology offers much better sound, and it's free!

09.03.2024 - France

If you like listening to the radio, it's high time you switched to DAB+. This digital standard, which will be widely deployed in France in 2024, offers much better sound quality than venerable FM. No reason to miss out! Even if it is suffering increasingly from competition from the Internet, and social networking in particular, radio remains a very popular medium. According to Médiamétrie, it still attracts nearly 40 million listeners every day in France, across all stations. Whether at home or even more so in the car, many of us 'switch on the radio', in the morning to get fresh information or during the day, to follow a programme or simply listen to music. And it has to be said that radio has a number of advantages. Not only is it free, but it doesn't take up all our attention: unlike screens, we can enjoy it while doing other things (cooking, cleaning...) or even while working!

(Comment ça Marche) Read more

DAB+ in France: Further sites switched on in Lorraine

02.03.2024 - France

The network for the two nationwide French DAB+ multiplexes in Lorraine was expanded by additional sites at the end of February. A new transmitter mast is now in operation in Sarreguemines (Saargemünd), located directly on the border with Saarland. Transmission takes place there on channel 11D and 6B. For the 1st multiplex only (channel 11D), an additional site went on air in Forbach, which is also close to the border. DAB+ transmitting antennas were also switched on in Sarrebourg and Saverne as well as in Verdun, Rarécourt, Marange and Sainte-Menehould. A site in Haguenau in Alsace (channel 6B) was put into operation for the 2nd multiplex.

(radioWOCHE) Read more

Delta FM and Delta+ extend their coverage areas

29.02.2024 - France

Delta Média, publisher of the Delta FM and Delta+ radio stations, is continuing its terrestrial development by adding a new transmission site to its DAB+ network. DAB+ is FM radio made even better! With HD quality, you can receive more programmes free of charge and enjoy better territorial coverage. Delta Média was a pioneer in DAB+, offering its programmes in HD in Dunkirk, Calais and Lille from 2018. This was followed by Boulogne in 2021 and St Omer in 2023. Now, towns in the Berck, Montreuil and Le Touquet area can receive our two stations on radios and car radios equipped with the DAB+ standard.

(Delta Média) Read more

Everything you need to know about DAB in a free ebook

26.02.2024 -

- France

With DAB+ set to cover 60% of the population of mainland France in the coming weeks, and other French-speaking countries around the world showing significant interest in DAB+, WorldDAB is publishing its first digital book in French: "Mise en place du DAB+ - la radiodiffusion numérique". This 118-page publication, which can be downloaded free of charge from the WorldDAB website, is a French translation of the highly acclaimed ebook "Establishing DAB+ Digital Broadcast Radio", which is an exclusive and comprehensive guide to the regulatory, technical and commercial aspects of successfully setting up a DAB+ digital radio service.

(La Lettre Pro de la Radio) Read more

Maison FG claims 115 DAB+ frequencies

22.02.2024 - France

On 22 February, Maison FG celebrates its 115th DAB+ frequency with the launch of Radio FG in Dinan, Brittany. Maison FG is thus continuing to develop its DAB+ network in France, with its radio bouquet of 4 programmes in DAB+. In addition to its network of 35 FM frequencies, Radio FG, a national network present in 108 towns, is also developing FG Chic "the lounge and nu disco radio" present in Paris, Monaco, Nice and Côte d'Azur, Maxximum "the new music radio", broadcast in Paris IDF and DanceOne which is broadcast in Paris and Île-de-France as well as in Marseille, Nice and Cannes, Bordeaux and on the Bassin d'Arcachon. "DAB+ makes it possible to listen to digital terrestrial radio stations free of charge in digital quality," says Antoine Baduel.

(La Lettre Pro de la Radio) Read more

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Key Information

Status:	regular
Population:	65.2 million
Population coverage:	54.8%
Services:	460 DAB+
Line-fit automotive sales (cumulative):	6,346,000 devices
New cars with DAB/DAB+ as standard:	98%
Total Sales (cumulative):	8,394,000 devices
Penetration by household:	13.7%
Last update: 18.07.2024