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LYON, France — Founded by Christophe Mahé in Lyon in 1987, the Espace Group has established itself as a significant player in the French broadcasting sector. It has a diversified portfolio of 11 radio stations broadcasting live between 6 a.m. and midnight, including two national stations — M Radio (with 100 frequencies) and Jazz Radio (70 frequencies) — and nine regional stations: Radio Espace (covering the Rhône area), Virage Radio (Rhône-Alpes), Générations (Ile-de-France), RVA (Auvergne), ODS Radio (Ain/Savoie and Haute-Savoie), La Radio Plus (Haute-Savoie/Hautes-Alpes and Switzerland), Durance FM and Nice Radio (Alpes-de-Haute-Provence), Alpes 1 Alpes du Sud and Alpes 1 Grenoble (Isère).
The group’s growth highlights the importance of technological partnerships, notably with WinMedia, to support its development and regional anchoring. This strategic choice has allowed the group to benefit from tailor-made innovations essential for its expansion. The Espace Group story is marked by a series of geographical and technological expansions, reinforcing its footprint through targeted acquisitions and the modernization of its studios. With its emblematic 4,000 square-meter headquarters in the heart of Lyon’s La Confluence district on the banks of the Saône, the broadcaster boasts 400 square meters of glass-enclosed recording studios, including six studios for interviews and guests.
The enduring relationship between Espace Group and WinMedia perfectly illustrates the importance of technological partnerships to support sustainable growth and competitiveness.
Virtualized studios
Studio virtualization was a revolution, offering unique operational flexibility. Stéphane Tésorière, CEO of WinMedia, attests to this advancement, saying, “Every studio is now virtualized, allowing each station to choose to broadcast from any studio.” This collaboration created an IP automation system capable of managing multiple studios simultaneously, illustrating the deep technological integration at the heart of the company.
Emphasizing the importance of these innovations for the group, Julien Frégonara, operational general manager, says, “The challenge of these new studios was to make them easily accessible remotely to on-air staff while uniting all the group’s services through a unique CRM that coordinated and multiplied field actions.”
The impact of digital technology and DAB+ has also allowed Espace Group to distinguish itself as the leading independent group of digital broadcasters, increasing its visibility and engagement with the audience.
Espace Group’s strategy
Adopting WinMedia’s WinSales marked a turning point in Espace Group’s customer relationship management and commercial performance. It optimized sales processes and media planning and became a central tool in daily operations. Tésorière says, “WinSales offers a range of crucial functionalities, such as interfacing with Microsoft 365 for agendas or with Cegid for accounting.”
He adds that the system ensures precise performance tracking and facilitates the management of advertising campaigns up to billing.
“The total integration of WinSales into the WinMedia suite also allows for the native export of campaigns to the programming schedule,” explains Stéphane Deloffre, WinSales project manager. “We have also opened WinSales to event management, which is another arrow in the quiver of EG Active, the commercial agency of Espace Group.”
The enduring relationship between Espace Group and WinMedia, crystallized by the adoption of WinSales, illustrates the importance of technological partnerships to support sustainable growth and competitiveness.
With tailor-made solutions and a shared vision for innovation, WinMedia remains an essential pillar in Espace Group’s success trajectory, bringing significant operational efficiency and allowing Espace Group to navigate with agility in a competitive market.
The author has worked in the radio industry for over 30 years. She has held posts as both a producer and presenter for French stations, such as Radio Notre Dame and Radio France’s France Culture. In addition to being involved with academic research and EU consulting in Brussels, she specializes in print journalism.
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