Francophone public broadcasters strategize to reclaim podcast audience from third-party platforms

At the Longueur d'ondes festival in Brest on January 30, 2026, representatives from Radio France, Arte Radio, RTBF, RTS, Radio Canada, and RFI discussed strategies to counter audience fragmentation and value capture by third-party platforms. The MFP, celebrating its 10th anniversary, groups 14 public service media from France, Belgium, Switzerland, and Canada, employing nearly 25,000 staff including 6,000 journalists. Key approaches include repatriating audiences to proprietary platforms: Radio France's unified app launched in 2018 now accounts for 60% of listens (up from 20% a decade ago), while Radio Canada's Ohdio app focuses on exclusivity. Arte Radio pursues hyper-distribution for visibility but maintains deeper catalog on its own site. RTBF and RTS use selective distribution and cross-promotion. RFI faces unique challenges in the Sahel where FM, web, and apps are blocked, making YouTube and social media the only contact with listeners. The MFP also explores a 'public service algorithm' prioritizing curiosity over retention.