Riviera Radio, the soundtrack to the good life
Riviera Radio’s studios are located on quai Antoine 1er © Sheila McCarron
We visited the Riviera Radio studios and spoke with its Managing Director Paul Kavanagh, and Edouard Huillet, Sales and Marketing Manager, about their ‘new look’ as the station has rebranded this year.
How it all started
Paul Kavanagh told us “It was an idea of Princess Grace nearly 40 years ago, at a time when there was no international press, satellite, or internet. American friends of the Princess would come over to Monaco, and they felt lost because they didn’t know what was happening in the world. Princess Grace suggested creating something to help people stay in touch. Monaco had a radio frequency, and so the concept came about.”
Advertising
Back then, 85-90% of people listened to the radio. Fast forward 40 years, 80% still listen to the radio every day worldwide. “Radio is a companion as well as media,” says Kavanagh.
Riviera Radio today
We asked about today’s listeners. The demographic is mainly 25-30+. Originally the station was seen as just for English people but now there is a broader base, with many English-speaking nationalities and others for whom English is a second language.
The main audience is residents but also tourists, who learn about the station through advertising at Nice airport or ‘ties’ in Rent-a-car vehicles among other channels. As the name suggests, it does not only broadcast to Monaco. FM waves are ‘line of sight,’ so from the mast that dominates the coastline, they can broadcast ‘From Sanremo to Saint Tropez’ and even Ile Rousse in Corsica, as well as to yachts off the Riviera coast, all on a single frequency (106.5).
“Good vibes, good business”
The station is 100% privately owned and known for its strong links to the business community in the Cannes/Antibes – Nice – Monaco triptych. Many of Riviera Radio’s advertisers have been with it for over 25 years since the station “brings in results” as the audience engages with local businesses (banks, restaurants, events). It also has a physical presence at events such as the Monaco Yacht Show, the Grands Prix, Cannes yacht show, tennis matches, Top Marques, etc.
Riviera Radio also creates its own events. One in Cannes gave local companies an opportunity to talk about their business and provide feedback on the station. A rooftop event took place in Nice. A gala event will take place on 9 October at the Hotel Hermitage, with over 200 partners, clients & sponsors as guests. “Many of our listeners do business with us,” says Kavanagh.
What do they broadcast?
There is a news and information focus in the mornings. The station has a partnership with the BBC, affording Riviera Radio exclusive broadcast rights for BBC news every hour throughout the morning. This is an excellent source of world news from a “great brand of news provider” as Paul Kavanagh puts it.
There is regional news every hour too, with particular emphasis on stories that Impact people’s lives, such as road closures due to sporting events.
Sport content figures strongly too, and the business news has been sponsored by Barclays for 25 years.
There is a Riviera Radio app (IOS & Android) “press once to listen, twice to read the news”.
Unlike most media, the station also passes on live information, about road congestion for example. In fact, it is the first and only live media on the French Riviera. French stations are legally obliged broadcast 40% French music and the news must be in French. Radio Riviera’s 35-year deal with France, while being based in Monaco. And it is the only radio in France with that status, which means… no competition!
“Radio has been social for years!”
We asked if they see themselves as a community radio station. Paul Kavanagh answered “We are close to our audience. It’s 2-way relationship. We have a core community. 10-15 years ago, people got excited about social media but radio has been social for years! People ring in, we put them on air, we give out prizes, they send back pictures and thank-you letters. 20 years ago, people needed an outlet for opinions, and radio was good for that.” Now the station has 12k followers on Facebook, 4-5k on Instagram . It has a strong presence on LinkedIn (6k followers) among the business community. There is a newsletter too. “People are consuming us in different ways,” says Kavanagh, “We stream on the internet, people have us on their phones. We’re not just a radio, we’re global media and a brand.”
Speaking of the brand…
The station had a strategy change roughly 6 months ago, targeting Instagram in particular. The logo had been around for 12-13 years, and the aim was to refresh and update the image for a younger audience, while retaining previous elements such as the dark blue and gold evoking luxury and exclusivity.
But there was more to it than that. “It’s not so much about age but about devices,” said Kavanagh, “technology has given us opportunities. At first we broadcast on FM Monaco & the surrounding area. That area spread, then DAB came, then social media. Then we had a website, with visitors from all over the world.”
“We are available on smart speakers, we have podcasts, which can then be downloaded. Headphones are big sellers today,” he continued, “so many more people can listen on the go” to the soundtrack to the good life.
