The news broke in April 2025: Radio France announced it would stop broadcasting Mouv’ on FM as early as this summer, transitioning to a 100% digital format by July 2026. A move that might seem surprising, especially considering that rap — and more broadly urban music — has been the most popular musical genre in France for several years. Yet behind this announcement lies a more complex reality — one that raises questions about both the mission of public service broadcasting and the space truly given to urban culture in the French media landscape.
A surprising decision — at first glance
For the past five years, rap has dominated French charts, whether in streaming numbers, physical sales, or certifications. In 2024, the top ten spots on Spotify France were all held by artists from the urban scene. Figures like Jul, Ninho, Gazo, Orelsan, Damso, PNL and Nekfeu consistently break records. Gazo’s album Apocalypse, for example, set a launch-day record with 6.17 million streams in 24 hours on Spotify France.
Against that backdrop, shutting down the only public radio station dedicated to urban culture feels paradoxical.
…but understandable when looking at the numbers
In truth, Mouv’ has struggled with low ratings for years. As of the first quarter of 2025, the station posted a national audience share of just 0.5%, amounting to about 276,000 daily listeners. In the Île-de-France region, that number slightly improved to 0.8% — still well behind its main competitors.
For comparison:
- Skyrock pulls in 3.16 million daily listeners nationwide, and has a 4.6% audience share in Île-de-France.
- Générations, although only broadcast in the Paris region, reaches 2.4% in cumulative audience with a 1.4% market share.
These numbers highlight Mouv’s difficulty in finding its audience, retaining it, and carving out a strong identity in a space already occupied by more established stations.
The paradox of a bold media outlet
Mouv’ never limited itself to broadcasting only chart-topping rappers. Its editorial line has consistently aimed to spotlight emerging artists, local scenes, and projects that fall outside the mainstream. Rather than championing a particular subgenre, the station promoted an inclusive vision of urban music in all its complexity.
Meanwhile, Skyrock and Générations have followed other editorial strategies — equally legitimate — each with a distinct relationship to format, time slots, and audience loyalty. Skyrock, for example, highlights independent rappers during its show La Nocturne, while still broadcasting high-profile artists during peak hours. These are different approaches, not opposing ones: each radio station serves a unique purpose within the French rap ecosystem.
Mouv’, for its part, aimed to make space for everyone. In a genre where certain themes are still taboo or underrepresented, the station opened up airtime to marginal, critical, or simply different voices. This approach may not have boosted ratings, but it aligns with what one expects from a public broadcaster.
Public service or private logic: where do we draw the line?
Radio France justifies the move with budget constraints, hoping to save up to €6 million per year by cutting Mouv’ from FM. While the economic rationale is clear, the deeper issue remains: public media exists precisely to operate outside short-term audience and profit metrics.
Much like France Info TV, launched under Jospin to offer an independent alternative to private news networks, public broadcasting is meant to create space free from market pressures — especially for content that private outlets have neither the incentive nor the obligation to provide. Removing Mouv’ from FM means abandoning that mission within the realm of urban music.
Rap still sidelined in traditional media?
Even though rap dominates the charts, it remains underrepresented in mainstream media. Occasional segments about Jul or Werenoi do appear on BFM TV or France Info, but they’re rare and often clumsily handled. When rap enters the TV space, it’s usually through a sensationalist or ill-informed lens.
As the saying goes, *the mainstream media doesn’t pray for rap*. And even at the height of its popularity, rap remains marginal in the institutional media sphere. The removal of Mouv’ from FM, while not overtly political, still signals a significant retreat of rap culture from the French public airwaves.
Conclusion: a financial choice that raises a cultural question
With Mouv’ disappearing from FM, Radio France is making a decision that goes beyond numbers. This isn’t just the closure of a station — it’s the loss of a platform for dialogue, representation, and cultural diversity in French popular music.
In an age dominated by algorithms, private platforms, and viral trends, isn’t the role of public broadcasting more essential than ever — to preserve space for what’s not formulaic, calibrated, or *”marketable”*? Mouv’ may not have *”performed”*, but it embodied a vision of rap and urban culture that no other outlet was carrying.
