With Luchini, Beigbeder and Roulier, Radio Classique wants to "go upmarket"

Fabrice Luchini joins the radio for a column broadcast every Saturday and Sunday, at 12 p.m. and 4 p.m., "Des livres et des notes".

The whimsical actor will read there "the great texts of the heritage which deal with music", specified Radio Classique on the occasion of the presentation of his return.

Frédéric Beigbeder, he will present every Friday at 7:00 p.m. a one-hour interview program with other writers, "Conversations of a child of the century".

Finally, every Saturday and Sunday between 11 a.m. and noon, journalist Daphné Roulier will portray influential women in classical music in "Major Women".

In addition, the cellist Gautier Capuçon will be on the air every day from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., except on weekends, for the program "Carnets", in which he will deliver his musical favorites.

"In recent years, we have been working to move upmarket. To differentiate ourselves from other radio stations, which often have more resources, we must have headliners who attract and retain", commented Mr. Louette in an interview. with AFP, assuming the radio's "liberal" and CSP+ positioning.

"It's the only one that mixes economics and classical music. Our audience likes both," he said.

For this season, the objective is at least to maintain the audience results, "about one million listeners per day, 1.8 to 2% audience share, 400,000 listeners for the morning", has indicated Mr. Louette, according to whom "the global audience has doubled in 4/5 years".

Another of its objectives is to obtain from Arcom (ex-CSA) "an increase in the number of transmitters which relay the signal" of Radio Classique.

According to Mr. Louette, Radio Classique has "a hundred, where its public competitor (France Musique) has 550", which according to him constitutes "an obstacle to healthy competition".

This return to school is also marked by changes in the direction of the radio, announced in July.

The journalist Guillaume Durand becomes director of information but will continue on the air in the morning.

Bertrand Dermoncourt becomes general manager.

© 2022 AFP