This Sunday, Virgin Radio becomes Europe 2 again
Faced with audiences at rock bottomthe pop-rock music station Virgin Radio will return to its original name, from Sunday: Europe 2. Renamed Virgin in 2008, this change of name aims to try to (re) win over 25-49 year olds who have left for other airwaves or streaming.
Inaugurated in the 1980s, the brand will also resume its rights New Year’s Eve“in continuity” of the changes started in September, explained Stéphane Bosc, general manager of Lagardère’s musical radio stations, a group majority owned by Vincent Bollorealso owner ofEuropean 1 and RFM. This return to basics was announced this summer by the private group and has since been validated by Arcom.
Aim for older
Europe 2 wants to be faithful to pop-rock and the French “new scene” of programming, less focused on electro, according to Stéphane Bosc. “We wanted to return to a strong brand that belongs to us” and a “common platform” with Europe 1, explains Stéphane Bosc. The objective was also to stop paying money to the giant Richard Branson, owner of the Virgin name, with which Lagardère had hoped to invest in digital and expand its audience.
According to Médiamétrie, over the September-October period, Virgin Radio recorded a historic low, with a cumulative audience (AC) of 2.6% and an audience share (PDA, scrutinized by advertisers) of 1.6%. , far behind the other pop-rock station, RTL 2 (3.9% and 3.2%).
“If we could return to 4.5% of cumulative audience and 3.5% of PDA, I would be delighted,” says Stéphane Bosc. “But it will take time,” warns the director, giving a three-year horizon.
At a time when the radio media, weakened by the pandemic and challenged by streaming, is losing listeners, Europe 2 intends, according to him, to refocus on 25-49 year olds, rather than “fishing in a lake empty of fish” by aiming for 13-24.
