France

Last update: 22.09.2023 - older versions

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Older pieces of legislation in France related to DAB+ in cars have been superseded by the transposition in November 2020 of the EECC into French legislation.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.

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

 

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: 16.02.2022 - older versions

In France, as of H2 2021, 90% of new cars sold are equipped with DAB+ as standard (Source: JATO Dynamics 2022).

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: 02.10.2018 - older versions

40,000 households in eastern Paris can now receive DAB as part of a test by Towercast. Radio France is broadcasting their portfolio of radio stations on that trial. 

There is one trial local multiplex in East Paris and one trial local multiplex on air in Rambouillet. One of the 5 DAB+ stations on air in Rambouillet are available exclusively via DAB+ digital radio (not on FM).

Several stations offer Slideshow services (SLS).

Last update: 13.06.2022 - older versions

The Regulator (ARCOM - previously CSA) refers to a “Nodes and Arcs” phase of DAB+ rollout bringing DAB+ coverage to the 50 largest cities and to the highways connecting them. The target completion date is end of 2022. Then the so-called “Percolation Phase” will cover the lower density regions.

Four calls for applications are expected by end of 2023 to reach 50 smaller cities and their surrounding areas. From the point of view of enhancing the digital radio experience for consumers, the CSA initiated a forum with French broadcasters to discuss the DAB+ user experience.

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

The 2021 annual report of the CSA / ARCOM which includes substantial information about the deployment of DAB+ in France is available to download here

 

Last update: 05.02.2021 - older versions

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

Consumer Marketing

French broadcasters are developing a marketing strategy in preparation for the national launch of DAB+.  The work involves collaboration between all broadcaster groups - Radio France, the large private broadcasters as well as independent radios.  

Arcom: 299 more DAB+ transmitters for mainland France
06.12.2023 - France France
Digital terrestrial radio, or DAB+, has been rolled out in France since 2014. Two metropolitan multiplexes, M1 and M2, broadcast radio stations from the main private and public service groups, as well as new stations available only on DAB+. These two multiplexes went live in October 2021, completing the first phase of national rollout. Between July and October 2023, the Authority approved 297 sites for deployment between October 2023 and March 2024. In total, the second phase of deployment will involve the commissioning of 299 transmitters.

(Arcom) Read more


SUN Junior returns to DAB+ in Nantes in December
04.12.2023 - France France
The SUN Junior youth radio station (developed by the SUN team) will be broadcasting on DAB+ in the Nantes area until 2 January. This medium, created for and by young people, is temporarily taking advantage of the festive season to bring together 5-11 year olds and their families to listen to festive programming directly from their radios. For the fourth year running, SUN Junior can also be heard on DAB+ in Nantes and the surrounding area from 1 December to 2 January, giving as many people as possible access to youth radio directly from their own radios.

(La Lettre Pro de la Radio) Read more


Towercast launches second phase of digital radio rollout
30.11.2023 - towerCast WorldDAB Member - France France
towerCast, the second largest operator in the broadcasting market and a major player in DAB+ in France, is pleased to announce the launch of the second phase of the national roll-out of DAB+ to 26 stations. The towerCast sites switched on today cover around 15 towns and cities, including Nantes, Aix-en-Provence, Tours, Angers, Valenciennes, Arras and Le Mans, as well as part of the A1, A2, A4, A8, A10, A11 and A26 motorways. "We are extremely proud of this launch, which bears witness to the trust placed in us by our customers and is the culmination of the hard work carried out by our teams over the last few months," said Raphaël Eyraud, Chairman of towerCast.

(towerCast) Read more


New horizons for French radio
22.11.2023 - France France
DAB+, webradio, IP radio, apps... what will be future? Leaders of the French radio industry considered what a future without FM could look like during a round table discussion that included Charles-Emmanuel Bon, Secretary General of Radio France, Aurélie Brevan Masset, Director of Institutional relations, NRJ Group, Prune De La Farge, Deputy Director at Radio Classique, Tristan Jurgensen, CEO of RTL2-FUN RADIO and Jean-Eric Valli, co-founder of Les Indés Radios. (in French)

(Medias en Seine) Read more


Maison FG: Two AI hosts join Dance One on DAB+
17.11.2023 - France France
From 20 November, Maison FG will be launching its first English-language Artificial Intelligence-generated animation in France on Dance One, the group's new DAB radio station dedicated to international dance music. To boost its digital audience around the world, Dance One will be offering daily virtual hosts, AI.KA and K.AI, both generated by artificial intelligence. "Maison FG has always been at the heart of innovation and digital. Radio FG was one of the first radio stations to broadcast its programme in streaming as early as 1998 and in DAB+ from the very first experiments. I am delighted that our group is the first in France to experiment with this new technology in digital radio," explained Antoine Baduel, CEO of Maison FG.

(La Lettre Pro de la Radio) Read more


Local radio stations in Ath and Lessines switch to DAB+ digital technology
16.11.2023 - France France
On T16 November, the heads of the independent local radio stations in Lessines (Ma Radio) and Ath (m@x FM) announced the commissioning of a DAB+ transmitter. The two radio stations have joined forces to form an ASBL, and took part in a call for projects from the Wallonia-Brussels Federation to obtain funding for technical investment.

(L’Avenir) Read more


Video: Where do things stand with the roll-out of DAB+ in France?
10.11.2023 - France France
More than one in two listeners can listen to digital radio thanks to digital terrestrial radio (or DAB+). Hervé Godechot, member of Arcom, takes stock of the deployment of DAB+ in France. (VIDEO)

(Arcom) Read more


DAB+: FG now present in over 100 towns and cities
31.10.2023 - France France
Radio FG has started broadcasting its programming on DAB+ in Vichy and Montluçon. FG DJ Radio now has 101 transmitters covering as many towns. Maison FG offers a package of 4 radio stations on DAB+. "The deployment and audience for DAB+ is accelerating rapidly in France, and FG has been supporting the roll-out of this new broadcast medium from the outset. DAB+ makes it possible to listen to digital terrestrial radio stations free of charge with HD digital sound," says the company headed by Antoine Baduel.

(La Lettre Pro de la Radio) Read more


DAB: Ado and Oüi FM arrive in Vichy and Montluçon
30.10.2023 - France France
As DAB+ continues to roll out across France, coverage this summer passed the symbolic milestone of 50% of the country's population. After Bayonne, Nancy, Metz and Pau, it's now the turn of Vichy (since 24 October) and Montluçon (since 26 October) to have access to DAB+ and to discover ADO, "the legendary Hip-Hop and R'n'B radio station" and OÜI FM, "the only French rock radio station".

(La Lettre Pro de la Radio) Read more


Montluçon: Two new radio stations set up in the area
27.10.2023 - France France
New DAB+ radio stations are coming to the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. OÜI FM, France's only rock radio station, and ADO, the legendary hip-hop radio station, have been added to the radio landscape in Vichy (from 24 October) and Montluçon (from 26 October). This is a major first for the residents of these two towns, who will be able to discover new musical genres. This launch is part of the roll-out of DAB+, whose coverage has passed the symbolic milestone of 50% of the French population.

(lasemainedelallier.fr) Read more


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Key Information

Status: regular
Population: 65.2 million
Population coverage: Sparkline Graph 54.8%
Services: 460 DAB+
Line-fit automotive sales (cumulative): 6,346,000 devices
New cars with DAB/DAB+ as standard: Sparkline Graph 98%
Total Sales (cumulative): 8,394,000 devices
Penetration by household: Sparkline Graph 13.7%
Last update: 26.02.2024

Useful Links

DAB+ services on air in France
Annuaire des radios Françaises en AM, FM et RNT
Regulator - ARCOM
Call for application for 2 multiplexes covering main roads
DAB+ in France - interactive map
DAB+ regulation in France
dabplus.fr