France

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.

Read more on the Arcom website.

Download the English-language summary.

 

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: 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

DAB+ soon to cover 60% of French population
04.01.2024 - France France
December 2023 marked a major step forward in the roll-out of DAB+. Between October 2023 and the end of the year, 108 new transmitters were switched on. Residents of Chartres, Compiègne, Dole and Menton can now receive DAB+ radio stations in their homes for the first time. In other cities such as Lens, Strasbourg, Montbéliard, Clermont-Ferrand and Nice, new stations are being added to the DAB+ offering. Following the first phase of deployment of national antennas in DAB+ in October 2021, the listening areas are being extended and enriched. By March 2024, at the end of the second phase of deployment, 26 national radio stations will be available to more than 60% of the French population.

(La Lettre Pro de la Radio) Read more


DAB+ conference in Rennes
21.12.2023 - France France
As DAB+ technology is rolled out at a steady pace in France, the A3C7 association is organising a conference on the arrival of digital radio in Brittany on 9 January 2024. The conference will be complemented by a free exhibition on the technology from 21 to 23 March 2024. This conference will bring together "the local players who played a key role in the advent of this new method of radio broadcasting, which has now become a worldwide standard". A number of French and foreign professionals who have been partners in this epic story (Nicolas Curien, Jean Marc Dubreuil from WorldDAB, Jérôme Hirigoyen, Charles-Emmanuel Bon, Prune de La Fage...) will explain how this technology works and talk about the present and future of radio.

(La Lettre Pro de la Radio) Read more


60% of the French population covered by DAB+ soon
19.12.2023 - France France
December 2023 marks a major step forward in the roll-out of digital terrestrial radio. Between October 2023 and today, 108 new transmitters have been switched on. Residents of Chartres, Compiègne, Dole and Menton will be able to receive DAB+ radio in their homes for the first time. In other cities such as Lens, Strasbourg, Montbéliard, Clermont-Ferrand and Nice, new stations are being added to the DAB+ offering. After an initial phase of national DAB+ antenna deployment in October 2021, the listening areas will be expanded and enriched. By March 2024, at the end of the second phase of deployment, 26 national radio stations will be available to more than 60% of the French population. In total, more than 550 radio stations are already broadcast on DAB+.

(Arcom) Read more


France: Alsace welcomes DAB+ expansion
18.12.2023 - France France
As of 14 December, approximately 20 national radio stations have started broadcasting on DAB+ in Alsace, in France’s northeast, enhancing the region’s digital terrestrial radio offerings. This expansion complements an already diverse range of regional and cross-border stations. Arcom, France’s digital communication regulator, is spearheading a comprehensive national rollout of digital radio. This phased deployment aims to cover most of the metropolitan population, region by region.

(RedTech) Read more


Digital radio: 26 new stations hit the airwaves in Alsace
14.12.2023 - France France
Since 14 December 2023, around twenty national radio stations have been added to the DAB+ airwaves in Alsace. This extension to the digital terrestrial radio offering completes an already well-stocked regional and cross-border package. 26 additional radio stations are available in Alsace with the roll-out of so-called 'metropolitan' DAB+. Some of these radio stations have never before been present on the FM band in certain towns in Alsace (such as RMC, RTL2, Chérie FM, etc).

(France Télévisions) Read more


Radio France adds new DAB+ coverage
14.12.2023 - Radio France WorldDAB Member - France France
From 14 December 2023, France Inter, France Info, France Culture, France Musique, FIP and Mouv' will be available on DAB+ digital radio in 29 of the 57 main urban areas with more than 100,000 inhabitants and by 30.8 million people, i.e. 47% of the population of mainland France, including a motorway route of 5,998 km. Our six broadcasts are available in DAB+ in the urban areas of: Annecy, Bayonne, Béthune, Creil, Douais-Lens, Montbéliard, Nice, Grenoble, Orléans and Strasbourg. A new deployment phase will be completed at the end of the first quarter of 2024, enabling our six stations to serve 45.3 million people with DAB+ digital radio, i.e. 69% of the population of mainland France.

(Radio France) Read more


The chair of Arcom talks about his success
14.12.2023 - France France
Interviewing the Chair of Arcom, Roch-Oliver Maistre, is also an opportunity to take stock of DAB+, the new way of listening to radio, on which Jazz Radio can be found throughout France. "We're making great strides, since by the beginning of 2024 we'll have roughly 60% of the population of mainland France covered by DAB+," said Maistre. "We're in an active development phase, and one of the key issues now is to raise awareness of DAB. There's going to be a publicity campaign to tell French people what DAB is, the quality of the sound, the comfort and the mobility, because the signal follows us. That's the challenge for the coming years."

(Jazz Radio) Read more


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


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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: 18.07.2024

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