Europe 1

Europe 1 (in the past Europe n° 1 ) is a private Radio French general practitioner of category E of the group Lagardere Active created in the first quarter 1955 by Charles Michelson and Louis Merlin.

History

The origin of the station dates from the immediate post-war period, in 1945, when Charles Michelson, which in 1939 had obtained a Concession to exploit a radio with Tangier, and whose project had been cancelled, accepted in compensation the concession of the Short waves of the principality of Monaco which it transformed into authorization to establish a television broadcast station in the principality (TMC Monte Carlo). It then created the company Image and Its , company of right Monegasque whose initial objective seems to have been with a network of stations of private television in France. In 1952 the monopoly of television and broadcasting in the Saar was allotted to Mr. Michelson and his company (at the time, the the Saar, in the east of the Luxembourg, managed by France was independent of the the Federal Republic of Germany). Michelson then projects to constitute the TV-Saar as well as a radio “peripheral”, escaping the French monopoly from broadcasting.

To conceive the programs of the new baptized station Europe n°1, Michelson recruits Louis Merlin, craftsman of the success of Radio Luxembourg. He also discharges Pierre Sabbagh the creator of the Tv news French to direct the drafting. Europe n°1 settles with “26 bis rue François Ier” with Paris, in the old studios of Voice off America.

The first experimental emission took place on January 1st 1955 with 6:30 and had to stop 30 minutes later because it disturbed other transmitters. During the following days, Europe n°1 changed several times of frequency scrambling the emissions of other European stations which protested (Thus, the January 8th, it is for example Radio Luxembourg which was parasitized and which, although itself did not profit from any authorization, protested vigorously).

It is finally only the April 3rd 1955 which Europe n°1, taking again the old frequency of Radio Paris, set on 1647 m long waves (182 Khz), since the transmitter located on the plate of the Felsberg, close to Sarrelouis (Saarlouis) in the Saar.

In September 1955, Sylvain Floirat was called by the French government to take again the company Europe n° 1, which, after the bankruptcy of Michelson, consecutive with the first difficulties of the station, was not viable any more financially. He became owner in July 1956 about it. The advertizing agency Régie n°1 is created in 1960.

Starting from 1959, the State takes the control of part of the capital of the company via the Sofirad.

The birth of the station, coincided with the appearance of three inventions which had a great influence on its style: Nagra (portable Magnétophone which gave a greater flexibility of intervention to the reporters), the Transistor which supported the individual listening of the radio (in particular that of the young people), and the Long-playing record.

Maurice Siegel modified appreciably the style of the radio news, making it possible Europe n°1 to acquire a good reputation in the field of the Information.

Among the first emissions with success of Europe n°1, one counts “For those which like the jazz” (1955), the “coffee of Europe” (1955), “Signé Furax” (1956), “You are formidable” (1956), “Salut the buddies” (1959), “the Cut of the reporters” (1959)

In 1968 Europe n° 1 called by certain “Radio Barricades” was shown by the authorities to give a version too favorable to the demonstrators of the events of May 68. The Minister of Interior Department considering that reports on line peripheral radios (whose Europe n°1) created a danger to the Law and order, prohibited the use of the transmitting cars lasting a few days. On order of Matignon, the Minister of Interior Department also makes cut the frequencies of the private radio stations to counter the diffusion on line demonstrations. Several journalists considered to be too committed were laid off the following year.

In 1974, the new president of the Republic Valery Giscard d'Estaing and its Prime Minister Jacques Chirac showing the radio of “persifler” pushed the director Maurice Siegel and several other leaders with the resignation. Jean-Luc Lagardere then took in hand the company assisted of Etienne Mougeotte, director of antenna. Starting from 1976 the radio at the head arrives of the audiences initially in front of RTL then France Inter.

After the election of François Mitterrand in 1981, Etienne Mougeotte is brought to resign. The left sets up the new direction and is involved in the leading choices of the radio. The private radios from now on authorized on the Bande FM collect part of the audience of Europe 1 which starts its decline then. Philippe Gildas takes the head of the direction of the antenna. Are create the Top 50 and of new emissions insolentes, like that animated by Coluche. However the radios general practitioners see fondrent their audiences vis-a-vis the Radios FM and vis-a-vis the increasingly effective television news.

The April 3rd 1986, the Sofirad sells with Jean-Luc Lagardere and its company Hachette its participation of 34,9% in Europe 1. The radio is thus completely privatized.

In 1995, Europe 1, pass from the second position to the fifth position of the most listened stations, with less than 10% of audience. Jerome Bellay, the creator of France Info, becomes managing director of the antenna in 1996. Europe 1 changes format: the music is withdrawn from the antenna and the station adopts the format of “news & talk”. The famous chime marking the hours of the station east " modernisé". The music, the entertainment and the plays are removed programs and the good share is made with the current events and the interactivity with the listeners.

In June 2004, Europe 1 counted 192 frequencies through the France.

The April 8th 2005, Arnaud Lagardere, general President-director of Lagardere Activates, pole audio-visual of the Groupe Lagardere, names Jean-Pierre Elkabbach managing director of the antenna of Europe 1, to replace Jerome Bellay, and administrator of Lagardere Active Broadcast.

The re-entry 2005/2006 is marked by a new logo, a new slogan (" We speak! ") and a new sound preparing. Light modification of the famous chime, emblem of the station.

The emissions headlights of the antenna are One will obstruct animated by Laurent Ruquier, Europe Sport by Laurent Luyat, Christian Jeanpierre and Denis Brogniart. Without forgetting To include/understand Jacques Pradel and the newspaper of the TV of Jean-Marc Morandini.

A curve of declining audience

Since the departure of Jerome Bellay, the station undergoes an erosion of its audience. At the time of the last vagueness Médiamétrie (April-June 2007), Europe 1 sees its share goes down for hearing to fall vertiginously from 9,5% to 8,9%. With 4,6 million listeners, the radio operator of the Lagardere group takes the 6th place thus. Europe 1 lost 270.000 listeners over one year (- 5,6%). In parallel, several large journalists leave the street François 1st (Christophe Delay, Vincent Parizot, Nicolas Charbonneau, Donat-Vidal-Revel…). Departures which should not be compensated with the re-entry 2007-2008.

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