Faced with audiences at their lowest, the pop-rock music station Virgin Radio will return to its original name, from Sunday: Europe 2. Renamed Virgin in 2008, this name change aims to try to (re) win over 25-49 year olds who have gone off to other airwaves or to streaming.
Inaugurated in the 1980s, the brand will also resume its rights on New Year's Eve, "in the continuity" of the changes started in September, explained Stéphane Bosc, general manager of Lagardère's musical radios, a group majority owned by Vincent Bolloré, also owner of Europe 1 and RFM.
This return to basics was announced this summer by the private group and has since been validated by Arcom.
Aim 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.
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