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PARIS — It’s a starry summer night, and I’m writing this article while listening to TSF Jazz. The station, throughout France on DAB+ or via streaming, is celebrating its 25th anniversary, and there’s a lot to say about this station that’s still going strong. It has concert projects, has expanded across France, and always has polished programming with hosts who have things to say.
“It’s the only 100% jazz radio station,” says Sébastien Vidal, program director and head of jazz club Le Duc des Lombards. His job is to find the most unifying music. “There’s an extraordinary diversity of new releases. The programming is simple: great classics, musical landmarks and new releases.”
The programmer loves the rhythm and melody aspect. “As those who invented the radio format in the 1970s used to say, ‘You have to surprise with music that develops the listener’s curiosity.’” TSF Jazz is a popular radio station. People who don’t like jazz listen to it. They are there because they find the music accessible, even though some people think you must have studied to listen to jazz. “Our greatest victory is that we’ve made it clear that jazz isn’t just for experts,” says Vidal.
Three days of celebration
TSF Jazz organized a big musical fanfare to bring back the bands of the great New Orleans “Dixieland” era, a huge parade through the streets on Sept. 22. The following day, the radio station offered a brand-new stage experience. “The idea was to get listeners to vote for their 25 favorite standards, compositions from the history of this music that’s more than a century old. From Ralph MacDonald and Louis Armstrong to Stan Getz, but also more recent sounds such as Roy Hargrove with ‘Strasbourg St. Denis’ or Norah Jones with ‘Don’t Know Why’.”
With the listeners’ choices, a unique show was performed on the stage of the Théâtre du Châtelet in the 1st arrondissement of the French capital and presented by American singer China Moses. The show featured Melody Gardot, Ibrahim Maalouf, trumpeter Stéphane Belmondo, singer Pablo Campos and a host of soloists performing in a scenic setting. “We can imagine a Herbie Hancock cover on ‘Cantaloupe Island’ to a duet with pianist Laurent Courthaliac and Melody Gardot. The event focused on the DNA of popular jazz,” explains Vidal.
TSF Jazz’s legacy lies in the passion of its founder, Jean-François Bizot — also the creator of sister station Radio Nova — a music lover and radio editor extraordinaire. “I have a memory of Jean-François listening to records late at night to find the right format. Nobody was doing jazz radio 25 years ago, and we didn’t know where we were going,” he reminiscences.
“Editorial positioning was critical to him, and he knew how to interest listeners and magazine readers. He loved telling great stories, and he loved radio because this medium is made for telling stories.”
Nobody had done jazz radio 25 years ago, and we didn’t know where we were going.
Sébastien Vidal, program director, TSF Jazz
A format that didn’t exist anywhere
TSF Jazz CEO Bruno Delport remembers a pivotal moment in the station’s evolution. “In 1999, the station was in difficulty, so we proposed a takeover plan. At the time, it took some time to get the word out about this jazz format that didn’t exist anywhere.” The takeover team had to fine-tune the programming, make meticulous adjustments and find the right mix. Twenty-five years on, TSF Jazz has a daily audience of 280,000 listeners on FM and over a million and a half weekly on digital. The station has no online presence. This is a conscious choice. “We don’t want the listener to switch to an online station when it needs an ever-growing audience.”
The team has created a premium service. This is a club where you can listen to the radio without advertising. “The rate is €3.99 per month,” says Delport, “and includes invitations to concerts, exclusive special offers and gifts.”
However, TSF is sorely lacking in frequencies. “We’ve asked for Toulouse on FM because we need city frequencies for an IP audience. FM is a ratings gas pedal on digital,” says Delport. The station is a candidate for all DAB+ extensions. “The problem with the rollout of DAB+ in France is that operators aren’t working collectively, with everyone doing their own thing. The work to achieve the best market share must be done jointly to increase the success of this medium, which has been steadily declining for years,” reminds Delport.
TSF Jazz’s future depends on a new business model. We know the advertising market share is declining, so management is looking for new revenue from events. The radio station owns the Le Duc des Lombards jazz club in Paris and is also working on organizing festivals, such as the TSF Jazz Chantilly Festival.
The author writes for La Lettre Pro de la Radio and is a host and journalist for various radio stations.
