The question was on the lips of all radio executives this Wednesday. Maintained by total silence from the main stakeholders. But the publication this Thursday morning by Médiamétrie of the results of the EAR study on radio audiences in September and October put an end to the suspense: RTL has become the 3rd antenna in France, beaten by France Inter and now also by franceinfo.
“We felt that it was not good because everyone was sullen in the corridors of management,” testifies a voice from the antenna, although not taken into confidence on the eve of publication.
300,000 fewer faithful over one year
In detail, the former number 1 is listened to every day by 4.90 million people. The grid supported by Thomas Sotto and Amandine Bégot, Julien Courbet and even Laurent Ruquier lost 300,000 followers over one year and reached the lowest score in its history. Opposite, Franceinfo therefore recovers second place… despite a drop. The 100% news station of Radio France has 4.97 million regulars daily, 18,000 fewer than last year.
A demotion in the form of an earthquake for the station directed by Régis Ravanas, which had only experienced this bronze medal once, in April-June 2003, then beaten by NRJ and franceinfo, in the midst of a social movement against a reform of the retirements. After competing for leadership with music radio from 1999 to 2015, RTL managed to take the lead over its competitors in 2016. A leadership position that was abandoned three years later since the April- June 2019, France Inter began to take off, reaching its historic record at the start of the 2024-2025 season with 7.20 million listeners, far ahead RTL.