A page should look very soon for the “rock radio”. A little over 10 years after recovery, the host-producer, Arthur is on the point of sell Oüi FM group 1981 (Latina, Swigg, Vibration…) directed by Jean-Eric Valli. This last is a professional well-known in the industry. It was founded in 1992 on The Indie Radio stations, an association of 131 thematic radio independent, local or regional (Voltage, Latina, Kiss FM…) that he still chairs. It takes over a radio loss on the financial plan that Arthur was not able to revive in spite of his efforts. For the season 2018-2019, the producer had even taken his hat of facilitator in the context of a broadcast in the late morning to give a kick-start to the hearings. But it was not enough.
Oüi FM can boast of a good reputation even if it is not broadcast everywhere in France. Music radio has 28 frequencies, with a few bastions of hearing in the Ile-de-France (2.5% of cumulative audience during the period September-December 2018, an increase of +0.8 percentage point in a year, according to Médiamétrie), in the North-East and Lyon. The resort was awarded recently the frequency at Marseille. The south-west quarter, however, is not covered.
The operation, which has been validated by the Conseil supérieur de l’audiovisuel (CSA), is being finalized. The sale, the amount of which has not been disclosed, is expected to be signed as early as next week. It would Oüi FM but also two radio stations broadcast in DAB+ radio (digital terrestrial): Radio Collector (golds) and Radio Life (humor in Paris and Marseille).
Ex-underground radio
Founded in 1986 on the basis of It moving in my head, the radio of SOS Racism, Oüi FM was rather underground at the time of startup before being bought in 1991 by Polygram, which has been standardized and has made a radio commercial, with a few animators who will be making their road as Melanie Bauer or Kad and Olivier. The music program has always remained focused on the rock.
In 1997, Virgin (Richard Branson) bought a share of the capital of Polygram, and the radio was renamed for a few months Virgin Radio. But after the transfer of the Virgin brand to Lagardère in 2007, Richard Branson has sold the station to Arthur at the end of 2008 to € 5 million.
according To statements made by Jean-Eric Valli to the AFP, the identity of the radio rock is not expected to change. “We will continue the work that has been undertaken,” stressed the president of the group in 1981, with the ambition to “enable Oüi FM reconnect with the financial balance”. Some of the employees of the radio, which are about thirty of them, could change the station within the group 1981. To a level close hearing of Oüi FM, Latina is the main radio of the group, which also owns the radio Swigg (Ile-de-France) and Vibration (Central region), as well as Voltage in Paris or Wit FM in the region of bordeaux.
