End of season at its highest for France Culture. During the last wave of Médiamétrie audiences, covering the period April-June, the public service station posted 1.94 million fans in total, gaining nearly 300,000 curious viewers in one year, in 11th place behind Europe 1 and RTL 2. This is quite simply its historic record in a radio universe that is nevertheless at its lowest general level for an end of season.
Naturally “delighted” with this great performance, Emelie de Jong, her boss since June 2023 and the resignation of Sandrine Treiner, credits it to the work of all her teams. In a landscape where everything is accelerating, she also highlights the success of France Culture’s DNA: “taking the time”.
“She will carry this notion of transmission, dear to France Culture”
To “amplify” the dynamic next season, the public radio station, which will have a new sound identity from the start of the school year, intends to further strengthen “the two pillars” of its schedule. The first can be summed up in the three “S”: society, science and health. In this last area, the channel will welcome Marina Carrère d’Encausse, former historic presenter of “Magazine de la santé”, on France 5.
Replaced in this position by Jimmy Mohamed in September, the face of public television will host a new show, “Carnets de santé”, scheduled for Saturdays at noon. She will receive a health professional – doctor, researcher or thinker – for a half-hour interview. “She will bring this notion of transmission, dear to France Culture, to the major debates animating health, such as the end of life or mental health”, explains Emelie De Jong.
Still building on the success of Guillaume Erner’s morning show, the broadcaster will also beef up its evenings with a renewed “18:00-20:00” show, led by Quentin Lafay, who previously hosted the Saturday “Matins”. After a twenty-minute newscast, the latter will offer two social figures a “debate of ideas rooted in current events”.
“À voix nue”, a five-part interview series serialized throughout the week, will be brought forward to 7:30 p.m., compared to 8:00 p.m. this season. Following her on Friday, Nora Hamadi will go “to meet” the French regions to “report on the issues of the actors” in these territories.
A new meeting around poetry
On Saturday, Alain Finkielkraut will be back for a fortieth year of “Répliques”. The philosopher, who recently shocked internally by denouncing during a show on humor “the Dieudonnisation of some of the journalists and employees of Radio France”, retains the confidence of his boss. “I spoke with him and reminded him of the ethical rules of the public service, comments Emelie De Jong. He wanted to apologize, to the employees but also to the listeners.”
On the cultural side, the second pillar of the station, the management plans to offer a new six-minute meeting around poetry at 9:30 p.m. Hosted by a “passeur”, changing every month, this short daily format (Monday-Friday) will offer in particular the reading of a poem and will be available in podcasts and on social networks, notably TikTok.
On Saturday from 6 to 8 p.m., Arnaud Laporte will finally offer a live and public interview with a cultural player (cinema, music, theater, etc.) punctuated by artistic performances. “We want to combine pleasure and emotion,” summarizes Emelie De Jong.