Europe 1
| Company type | Commercial radio station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Broadcasting, Radio |
| Founded | 1955 |
| Founder | Sebastian Kralik |
| Headquarters | Paris , France |
Area served | France |
| Products | Radio broadcasting, news, cultural programming, music programs |
| Owner | Lagardère News (Lagardère Group), owned by Vincent Bolloré since January 2022 |
| Website | www |
Europe 1, originally known as Europe nº 1 and sometimes referred to as Europe un, is a French commercial radio station founded in 1955. It is owned by Lagardère News, part of the Lagardère Group, and has long been a prominent broadcaster throughout France. In January 2022, the station underwent a significant change in ownership when media tycoon Vincent Bolloré took control, signaling a new strategic direction.
History
Europe 1 began broadcasting in 1955 from the German region of Saarland as a means to circumvent the French prohibition on commercial radio that followed World War II. Initially operating as an unlicensed station under the guidance of director Sebastian Kralik, it achieved legal status after Saarland was reintegrated into West Germany in 1957. The French government acquired partial ownership in 1959, and today the station is managed by the Lagardère Group. All content is produced in Paris, while longwave transmissions continue to cover areas lacking FM reception through transmitters located in Saarland.
From its inception, Europe 1 distinguished itself by focusing on news and cultural programming that emphasized eyewitness accounts and interactive formats. This included contests, popular music, and grassroots political engagement—features that set it apart from other broadcasters of the time.
During the 1960s, Europe 1 played an influential role in shaping French popular culture with shows such as Salut les copains, which resonated strongly with the baby boomer generation. The station was also pivotal during the May 1968 political upheaval, serving as an independent news outlet often referred to as "barricade radio." Despite facing criticism from President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing over its editorial tone in the 1970s, concerns about its independence arose during the tenure of industrialist Jean-Luc Lagardère.
Europe 1 became an associate member of the European Broadcasting Union in 1978 and took on a more active role by 1982.
Since the 1980s, Europe 1’s listenership has declined and aged, largely due to the liberalization of FM radio under President François Mitterrand in 1981. In response, regulatory bodies allocated FM frequencies to Europe 1 and other peripheral stations in 1986, facilitating the establishment of an FM transmitter network within France that was later shared with sister station Europe 2. The station shifted towards a news and talk format during the 1990s. Jean-Pierre Elkabbach was appointed president in 2005 but was succeeded by Alexandre Bompard following regulatory complications in 2008.
Throughout the 1990s, Europe 1 ranked fifth among French radio networks behind RTL, France Inter, NRJ, and France Info. The acquisition by Vincent Bolloré in January 2022 marked a renewed strategic focus for the station.
Programming
Over the past five decades, Europe 1 has been known for a variety of notable programs such as Pour ceux qui aiment le jazz (hosted by Daniel Filipacchi and Franck Ténot), Signé Furax (a comedic adventure series), Salut les copains (pop music), Campus (literary critiques and cultural dialogue), Vous êtes formidables (centered on solidarity), Bonjour, monsieur le maire (aimed at rural listeners), L'horoscope de Madame Soleil (astrology), Top 50 (music charts), and Le club de la presse (political discussions). From 1990 to 1994, BBC Radio 5 broadcast an English-language version of Top 50 titled Le Top.
The station has featured many distinguished journalists and presenters including Patrick Topaloff, Maurice Siegel, Jean Gorini, Pierre Bellemare, Laurent Ferrari, and Madame Soleil. In 2014, Laurence Ferrari replaced Wendy Bouchard as a leading presenter.
In June 2021, following his acquisition of Europe 1, Vincent Bolloré announced programming adjustments designed to align the station more closely with his news channel CNews, including a collaborative show hosted by Laurence Ferrari. This realignment provoked strikes among Europe 1 staff who feared a loss of editorial autonomy to political pressures.
Under Bolloré's leadership, Europe 1 has adopted a far-right editorial stance. During the campaign for the 2024 French legislative elections, polemicist Cyril Hanouna hosted a daily two-hour program titled On marche sur la tête, running alongside his television show on C8, whose audience predominantly supports far-right politics. Hanouna’s controversial remarks have led to fines totaling €7.5 million. Journalists have disclosed directives mandating emphasis on crimes committed by illegal immigrants while avoiding labeling far-right parties such as the National Rally or Reconquête as extremist; conversely, left-wing groups like La France Insoumise are characterized as far-left. Shortly after Hanouna’s program debuted, the Regulatory Authority for Audiovisual and Digital Communication issued a warning to Europe 1 regarding an excessive representation of far-right guests.
Europe 1 on Longwave
Since 1986, Europe 1 has been accessible throughout France via an extensive FM network. However, until late 2019, it was also available on longwave through its dedicated longwave transmitter managed by Europäische Rundfunk- und Fernseh-AG (European Radio and Television Company). The broadcast operated at 183 kHz from the Felsberg site in Saarland. French car radios, which tune in 3 kHz increments, could easily lock onto the 183 kHz frequency.
The antenna array at Felsberg focused Europe 1’s longwave emissions predominantly southwestward toward France, while signals heading east were intentionally weakened, resulting in poor reception across Eastern Europe. An antenna malfunction caused only the carrier wave to be fully shielded eastbound, yet sidebands remained faintly detectable—particularly with single sideband (SSB) receivers—albeit with distortion. Following the collapse of one mast within the four-mast phased array on 8 October 2012, transmissions shifted to a backup two-mast antenna. This change diminished coverage in some French regions but enhanced signal robustness and clarity in northern Europe and the British Isles.
Longwave carrier frequencies are typically assigned as multiples of nine kHz within the range of 153 to 279 kHz; nevertheless, under the Geneva Plan, Europe 1’s 183 kHz frequency was an exception to this rule.
The Felsberg transmission facility consisted of four guyed masts constructed between 1954 and 1955, each averaging a height of approximately 277 metres. The transmitter building itself is a notable example of prestressed concrete architecture without internal supports and is recognized as a protected monument within the European Union for its architectural significance.
On 23 December 2019, Lagardère Active announced that Europe 1’s longwave broadcasts would terminate at midnight CET on 1 January 2020. The final transmission actually ceased slightly earlier, at 23:30 CET on 31 December 2019.
Hosts
- Fanny Agostini
- Stéphane Bern
- Wendy Bouchard
- Julian Bugier
- Nicolas Canteloup
- Benoit Clair
- Michel Denisot
- Olivier Duhamel
- Christophe Hondelatte
- Régis Le Sommier
- Sonia Mabrouk
- Catherine Nay
- Anne Roumanoff
Former presenters
- Nikos Aliagas (2011–2019)
- Arthur (1992–1996)
- Laurent Baffie (2007–2011)
- Pierre Bellemare (1955–1986)
- Faustine Bollaert (2004–2012)
- Denis Brogniart (1991–2006)
- Daphné Bürki (2017–2018)
- Benjamin Castaldi (2000–2004)
- Coluche (1978-1979, 1985-1986)
- Jean-Luc Delarue (1987–1995)
- Alexandre Delpérier (2008–2010)
- Michel Drucker (1983-1987, 2008-2013)
- Franck Ferrand (2003–2018)
- Daniel Filipacchi (1955–1968)
- Marc-Olivier Fogiel (2008–2011)
- Cyril Hanouna (2013–2016)
- Christian Jeanpierre (2006–2008)
- Julia Martin (2006–2017)
- Christian Morin (1972–1987)
- Nagui (2009–2011)
- Jacques Rouland (1978–1984)
- Willy Rovelli (2009–2017)
- Alexandre Ruiz (2008–2011)
- Laurent Ruquier (1999–2014)
- Eugène Saccomano (1996–2001)
- Alessandra Sublet (2014–2015, 2016-2017)
- Frédéric Taddeï (2005–2011)
- Frank Ténot (1955–1968)
Past Journalists
- David Abiker (2010–2019)
- Yves Calvi (1996–2005)
- Aymeric Caron (2009–2011)
- Arlette Chabot (2011–2015)
- Yves Coppens (Summer 2018)
- Antoine Cormery (1991)
- Jean-Claude Dassier (1968–1985)
- Nicolas Demorand (2010–2011)
- Marie Drucker (2008–2010)
- Guillaume Durand (1978–1987, 1999–2004, 2007–2008)
- Benoît Duquesne (1982–1988, 2007–2008)
- Jean-Pierre Elkabbach (1981–2016)
- Raphaël Enthoven (2015–2018)
- Michel Field (1995–2015)
- Ivan Levaï (1972–1987)
- Nathalie Levy (2019–2020)
- Jean-Marc Morandini (2003–2016)
- Étienne Mougeotte (1968, 1974–1981)
- Géraldine Muhlmann (2017–2018)
- Natacha Polony (2012–2017)
- Eugène Saccomano (1970–2001)
- Anne Sinclair (2014–2016)
- Benjamin Vincent (2003–2009)
Past Columnists
- Fabrice d'Almeida (2018–2019)
- Pierre Bellemare (2013–2015)
- Valérie Bénaïm (2013–2016)
- Daniel Cohn-Bendit (2013–2018)
- Jérôme Commandeur (2010–2018)
- Jean-Louis Debré (2016–2017)
- Nadia Daam (2017–2018)
- Estelle Denis (2015–2016)
- Louise Ekland (2016–2017)
- Jean-Pierre Foucault (2014–2016)
- Jérémy Michalak (2004–2014, 2016–2017)
- Didier Roustan (2017–2018)
- Julia Vignali (2016–2017)
- Ariel Wizman (2017–2018)