Digital radio arrives in French countryside
Most larger towns and cities have had DAB+ since 2024
Published
Digital radio broadcasts using the international DAB+ standard are expanding into rural France after nearly a decade of unfulfilled promises.
Most larger towns and cities have had DAB+ since 2024, and the government extended coverage along the nation’s autoroutes and main routes nationales.
Efforts are now being made to bring it to more rural regions that have previously been overlooked. Once installed, FM transmitters will be reduced in number.
DAB+ broadcasts offer greater clarity than FM radio, which can often sound crackly due to changes in the atmosphere.
DAB+ uses digital broadcasting technology, providing a more stable signal for compatible receivers. It also allows a greater number of broadcasters to use the same equipment.
All new radios sold since 2020 should be DAB+ compatible. They can be purchased for around €40 if you do not have one and find that FM disappears.
Smart speakers – priced around €100 – are another solution, allowing you to stream broadcasts from your preferred smart device via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connections.
All new car radios are already compatible with DAB+.
FM radio and DAB+ rely on line-of-sight transmission from radio towers. Consequently, the more towers there are broadcasting DAB+, the more widespread it will be.
Until now, for example, large parts of Charente and Dordogne would occasionally pick up DAB+ radio stations from Bordeaux transmitters. Mostly, however, a “no signal” message would appear when DAB+ was selected.
Now Agen, Angoulême, Blois, Bourges, Châteauroux, Chaumont, Cherbourg, Cognac, Epinal, Forbach, Mont-de-Marsan, Nevers, Niort, Saintes, Vesoul and Vichy are turning on DAB+ transmissions, giving coverage up to 50km.
The French radio regulator Arcom has a search function on its website that allows users to discover which FM and DAB+ radio stations are available in their commune: tinyurl.com/radio-finder.
Digital radio stations in France
All Radio France stations, including France Info, France Inter, France Culture and France Musique, are found in DAB+.
The main commercial radio stations, such as RMC and Europe 1, can also be found, alongside many themed music stations (jazz, classical, rock) which opened specifically to take advantage of the greater bandwidth offered by DAB+.
No UK stations have paid to broadcast on the French DAB+ network.
Most of France’s main stations also offer internet radio. Radio France has unified all its stations in one app, similar to the BBC Sounds app in the UK. It has an extensive podcast library and playlists – although rows over rights with some outsourced programmes, such as France Inter’s Affaires sensibles, mean some podcast archives have moved to other platforms.
The government still recommends that every house has a functioning battery-powered radio able to receive FM transmissions in case of emergencies.
