Fun Radio

Fun Radio is a chain of radio musical of RnB and Dance private Frenchwoman held by the group RTL.

History of the radio

The beginning

Fun Radio was created the October 2nd 1985, in the south of France by Jean-Baptiste Blanchemin, Eric Pechadre and Pierre Lattès by federating 6 local stations NRJ (Nancy, Montpellier, Bordeaux, Carcassonne, Toulouse, and Grenoble) and a station Chic FM (Nice) within the company Cofirad SA. This Putsch will prepare in the greatest secrecy so much so that the organizers of these stations will be put at the current only the very same day and that the Parisian direction of NRJ does not include/understand the situation. Leaflets are distributed in the night of 1st to October 2nd to announce the birth of this new radio to the listeners of the cities where these stations were present. The first days, the listeners do not include/understand anything and it is the most total confusion in their spirits. Among the very first organizers of the station, one finds the DJ Didier Sinclair, which will officiate on the station until in 1991. Bernard Montiel also formed part of the very first organizers of Fun Radio, where it animated an emission on the cinema.

The era Harrowing

In prey with financial problems in 1987, Robert Harrowing repurchases Cofirad (Fun Radio) and amalgamates it with its network Chic FM in September 1987 to create the Fun Radio network. Majority of the organizers of Smart FM for which Nagui, and Laurent Boyer is thanked. Fun Radio settles in the studios of Smart FM (old Studios of Eddy Barclay), Avenue Charles de Gaulle, with Neuilly on the Seine. This fusion gives to Fun a true national establishment. CNCL, authority regulating of audio-visual of the time, is not even informed of this fusion and will worry some later. In 1988, Fun Radio is the French musical network which counts the most stations: 97 compared with 56 for NRJ, 50 for KIS FM, 16 for Skyrock and 7 for Hit FM. The station does not have a true concept and is a certified copy of NRJ. Of 1987 with 1989 the radio is directed by Daniel Vaucamp.

Harrowing Robert names Benoît Sillard, managing director of the station in 1989, after the departure of Pierre Lattes, one of the founders of the station. Several solutions arise to him: to liquidate the station, to resell it, amalgamate it with Maxximum, young station of the group RTL (refusal of the SCUMS) or to start again it. It is this last solution which will be selected. Fun Radio will know its first social plan then. A few months later, Benoît Sillard will become chairman from Fun Radio and will develop Fun Radio abroad while launching Fun Radio Romania, Fun Radio Poland and Fun Radio Slovakia, which will be the 1st free radios in each one of these three Eastern European countries, then Fun Radio Belgium. One finds with the antenna Alexandra Toucourt (Alexandra Dayan) which will be inter alia later one of the voices of Europe 1 or Hit Machine on M6, Isabelle (or Jessy Ernut) become later the voice of the Fair price on TF1. The team is also composed of Bill Codebar, Eddy, Elton Djoovy (Frederic Jouve), Sam Choko (Philippe Sage), Stef Maniac (Stephan Blanc), Marc Potain, Captain Transistor, Cookie, Mandrak, Jean François M, the Left-handed person (Bruno Chevalier)… At that time, on a proposal from Eric Péchadre, Robert Harrowing, man of press launches even a variation magazine of Fun Radio with Maxi Fun The musical programming of Fun Radio is then directed around the hits of the moment (first musical tests by Tel.) with famous the 6 Signals of a Block (88/89 votes antenna Patrick Kuban, realizer Patrick Baudu). With the beginning of the year 1990, Zorglub then Pascal Sellem animates morning station. Bruno Thirteen, Bill, Difool and Alexandre Debanne then form part of the team of organizers of the station. Just like Laurent Baffie which animates an emission of humor (Go ahead makes laugh us) at 1990 with 1992.

The Sillard era will appear catastrophic for the statégie Group Harrowing in the radio. It is in particular him which had the brilliant idea to give up frequencies with the directors paid in province… before the Fun group must repurchase them with at ransom price a few years later…

To instigate the antenna, he discharges Arthur Skyrock, then unknown of the general public. Arthur takes in its team Alexandre Devoise and Manu Levy, the operator of Eddy. The audience of morning explodes and the station posts 5% of audience cumulated with plays and be delirious then very original and impertinent on a wide-area network (Orgasmotron…). Fun then precedes on this time slot all the others `' radios young''. Arthur autoproclame `' the organizer more the idiot of the band FM'', but Fun Radio coward for Europe 1 one year later in 1992. To succeed Arthur, the station will call upon Laurence Boccolini, which will remain only a few weeks with the antenna. In October 1992, vis-a-vis the success of `' Good evening the Planet'' on Skyrock, Benoît Sillard puts at the antenna a sulfurous emission Lovin' Fun animated by " Doc" (Christian Spitz, Pediatrist), and Difool. Fun Radio becomes the radio most listened after 20:00 with this emission of free antenna and prevention on the love and the Sexualité intended for the teenagers and young adult. Difool also will try the adventure of Difooloir during the summer, but SCUMS quickly will prohibit the emission.

Era CLT (RTL Group)

In 1993, Eric Pechadre succeeds in convincing Harrowing Robert that the financial balance of the radio will be found only with the support of a great group. RTL, RMC and Europe 1 are then approached and in fact the CLT (RTL Group) returns in the capital of the station. (60% Harrowing, 30% CLT, 10% M6). The share of CLT will not cease growing the following years.

Fun Radio adopts musical programming mainly Rock - Grunge, the emissions of free antenna occupy the majority of the time slots and the organizers with a strong personality: max, Cauet, Arnold, Difool, Doc., Bill, Genius Godula, Julia, Miguel…

In spring 1994, the radio beats its records of audience with 8,7 points of audience (against 10 for NRJ) thanks to Lovin' Fun and to the polemic born around this emission where the believed remarks fuse.

In January 1995, Cauet, with the orders of morning makes a dirty trick in connection with the concentration camps, which will lead Fun Radio to lay off it. From this episode, will be born an immense enmity with Arthur.

In June 1996, Difool then directing of antenna of the station, resigns following a dissension with Benoît Sillard. Indeed, with the erosion of the audience of the emissions of free-antenna, Benoit Sillard wished to modify the concept of the station by putting more music and while launching Fun TV. The refusal of Fun Radio to release it from its clause of exclusiveness and the fact that Difool is a registered trademark by Fun Radio prevent it from taking again the antenna on a radio competitor during one year.

To the re-entry 1996, Fun Radio launches its Internet site and reorientates its programming towards musical programming named the `' Better Mix', mixing RnB/Techno/Dance/Rap. Emissions sets of themes or of humor make their appearance like Eric and Ramzy Show, Fun Voyages or Fun Movies with Arnold and Laurent Weil. Lovin' Fun perdure with a new coanimatrice. The team of Fun always constitutes max, Doc., Genie, Arnold, Bill, Miguel to which new organizers like Lorenzo Pancino are added, Emmanuelle Gaume, Florian Gazan, Yannick, Morgan, David. February 10th, 1997, Fun Radio launches its television channel Fun TV on the cable and the satellite with a concept of filmed radio, concept which will be abandoned less than one year later.

Fun Radio continuous to know problems of audience. November 3rd, 1997, Benoit Sillard leaves Fun Radio and is replaced by Axel Duroux, then chairman of RTL2. Nearly a paid third of the 120 radio leaves the station or is laid off. Many services (technique, commercial, programming) are mutualisés with those of RTL2, which had failed to amalgamate with Fun, of time when it was called Maxximum. The purpose of these mutualisations were to make economies and to cleanse finances of the station.

Axel Duroux gives up the concept of Fun Music Systems, coffee chain developed with Kronenbourg, and the Foundation Fun Radio (prevention of MST, fight against violence…) is forsaken. It reformate Fun Radio and Fun TV with the assistance of Samuel Zniber (Sam Z), come from NRJ. The free-antennas are less and less numerous, the musical programming becomes `' hits''. In April 1998, max succeeds Lorenzo in Morning. In June, Lovin' Fun disappears from the antenna. The majority of the organizers emblematic of the station, except max are laid off. New voices like Barth, Léo, Mickael Quiroga make their appearance. Until this date, the audience maintenance on the level of the audiences noted at the time of the departure of Benoit Sillard.

Between 1997 and 2002, Gerard de Suresnes (Gerard Cousin) will animate debates, on multiple more or less serious subjects, late in the night. " DEBATEs of Gérard" were and will remain " the emission more trash of the FM" band;. Of his team one will retain in particular Phildar, Manu, Anneka, Reego, Appoline… and of course max which discovered it with its famous poems. To this official team will come to be added the " habituels" as Gerard called them. It should be known that there exist many rumors according to which Gerard will be paid only a few months over these five years by Fun Radio, although it is difficult to speak here about a work. October 30th, 2002, Gerald will make the error of too and will be prohibited definitively of antenna. The man who marked a whole generation is extinguished in May 2005 whereas his legend grew, still and always. Many organizers paid homage like its fans to him. That it rests in peace, him which entered to the Pantheon of FM.

With the re-entry 1998, the station is completely reformatée. Emmanuel Curtil, voice of Jim Carrey or Chandler in Friends, which had made the voice-off of the station (preparing and jingles) for several years, is replaced. The logo changes completely and becomes pink and of square form. Its resemblance to the logos of RTL and RTL2 makes fear that Fun Radio becomes RTL3. The programming becomes Rock and Techno, the station accommodates new organizers: Bob, Victor, Kash, Barth. max continues the emission of the morning, Bob the nut discharged with Skyrock presents Fun List, Morgan takes again Dédi' Fun animated by Difool with the beginning of the year 1990. The audience collapses and reaches historically low levels. At the end of September, Mickaël is thanked after a skid, max takes again the orders of the evenings. Barth replaces it for the `' Morning Bio''.

In January 1999, Fun knows new upheavals. The logo changes for the second time into 6 months, the station moves to settle in the buildings of RTL, street Bayard with Paris. The format changes again to become `' Groove' Dance'', Sam Z makes his return to the antenna. David changes name to become Dario, Barth is replaced by Bob, Gwen and Martin anniment the morning emission Fun Tonic. In June 1999, the audience went up spectacularly, although some regret the musical formatting and the smoother tone and less personnel of the organizers. This same year, Fun Radio resells with M6 the 50% of Fun TV, that the station still held. M6 yields the 10% of the capital which it had with RTL Group (ex CLT-UFA), which becomes Actionnaire to 100% of Fun Radio.

In January 2000, Axel Duroux leaves Group RTL to take the direction of Endemol France. It is replaced by the chairman of RTL, Stephan Duhamel, which will be replaced the same year by Robin Leproux appointed chairman of the group after the vexations of Stephan Duhamel and her policy of renovation of the antenna of RTL.

The success of Fun Radio is confirmed, it profits from enormous repercussions thanks to the partnerships passed with M6 and its emissions of tele reality. In September 2000, Arthur, become very known, makes its come-back on the antenna with a daily show in end according to midday with Manu Levy and Myriam. The station launches the Mix Supreme one, play which makes it possible a listener to gain 1 franc million.

Sam Z leaves Fun Radio in 2001 to direct foreign stations FM, Victor (Xavier Laissus) replaces it with the direction of antenna. Olivier Jacobs succeeds Jean-Baptiste Jouy with the head office. The station wishes to widen its audience, recalls in 2002 Emmanuel Curtil and launches the format `' Of the hits and of Fun'', max Co-animates the emission of the evening with Melanie. Bob, Isa and Martin animate the morning. Arthur multiplies the events with the antenna (emission since the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle , several emissions in one day since various areas of France). The station launches Fun MP3, a Webradio disappeared today. The station then beats its second historical records of audience with 8.1% of cumulated audience.

In 2004, Fun Radio calls upon Cauet, become very known, to animate the morning of Fun Radio. Arthur, with which it had different following a dirty trick on the concentration camps, refuses to animate on Fun Radio although its contract binds it to the station until June 2005. Arthur `' takes as an hostage'' the antenna with the support of personalities of the show biz to require its freedom. Fun Radio prohibits it antenna and the business finishes in front of the courts. The arrival of Cauet to morning makes it possible to maintain the audience after the departure of Arthur. The 2 organizers try to carry out at the same period the longest emission in the world on their respective antennas.

In June 2005, the chairman of RTL/RTL2/Fun Radio is thanked and replaced by Axel Duroux, which again calls upon Sam Z, who becomes Managing director to replace Olivier Jacobs. With the re-entry, the station makes evolve its format to Drunk format `the' & Dance'', it makes evolve/move its logo and its preparing. In December 2005, Xavier Laissus is replaced by Davy Seranno (Morgan) with the direction of antenna after having directed the antenna of Europe 2 during a few months. max stimulating emblematic of the station for 12 years has left the antenna and is replaced by Sophie Gaillard, the emission citizen of Loubna also disappears.

Fun Radio then carries out its best survey since the end of 2003 with a share of audience which leaps of +21% out of only one wave and 358.000 new listeners in less than three months. In only one wave, all the sections of programs of the station - 5:00 at midnight - see their shares goes down for hearing to progress significantly, with the image of:

Cauet, each morning between 6:00 and 10:00, which gains +19% more of shares of audience,
Sophie, each evening starting from 21:00, which - for its 1st survey - increases already by +21%,
Of its drunk person and dance which makes new followers with each survey between 10:00 and 21:00: +19%.

Lastly, Cauet created the event, on April 6th once again, by taking on board with him 1.700.000 listeners on board TGV for the fastest emission and already proposed to the listeners of Fun Radio to gain 68.000 euros!

However the survey Médiamétrie of July 2006 again reveals a light fall of the audience.

In January 2007, eighteen months after its arrival with the Head office of the Programs of the musical stations of the Radio operator Pole of RTL Group, Samuel Zniber leaves his functions.

Claude Sertorio - Managing director - is named assistant of the Head office and the general position of director is entrusted to Jerome Fouqueray

A study mediametry published in September 2007, shows that the station musical with progressed in an important way: in one year it gained nearly 330.000 listeners in week, that is to say a rise of 12%.

September 25th, 2007, the station adopts a new logo approaching the logo which had been adopted in January 2000.

Since the re-entry the 2007 Drunk claim & Dance are detached from the logo and come to be fixed in lower part of this one at the manner of the claim From the hits & Fun adopted in 2002.

November 21st, 2007, the Drunk claim & Dance disappears little by little and is replaced by the sound of Dancefloor , Fun Radio is indicated by the organizers as being the radio which diffuses " 40 minutes of its Dancefloor non-stop".

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