CHAMBERY, France — Savoie, a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, Southeastern France, brings to mind winter ski slopes and summer hikes in the high pastures among cows.
It’s also known for raclette, Reblochon cheese, Opinel knives and paragliders. “Savoie is a mountainous region with a mountain community,” says Hervé Lutin, director of France Bleu Pays de Savoie, based in the department’s capital, Chambéry. Launched in 1988, the station has expanded significantly to cover Savoie and neighboring Ain. The station employs 32 people, including seven hosts, six journalists in Chambéry and two in Annecy, the capital of Haute-Savoie. The cities may be neighbors but they have different characteristics.
“Haute-Savoie is highly urbanized,” explains Lutin, “with 90,000 cross-border commuters going to work in Switzerland daily.” This context brings to the station the typical challenges of urban areas, such as traffic and cost of living, especially in the Geneva basin.
“Annecy also faces significant tourist overpopulation, particularly in summer. We’re not just about folklore,” he adds. To capture the essence of the region’s character, France Bleu Pays de Savoie hosts brothers Philippe and Jean-Noël Deparis, who travel across the region, connecting with residents in villages and towns. On air, they share stories that capture the history of the valleys, villages and mountains. “But we deal with issues that extend beyond the mountains,” says Lutin.
We integrate seasonality in various ways, beginning with economic news as we track regional developments and updates from our stations.
Attuned to seasonality
In a region where much of the population depends on tourism and the mountains, seasonal tourism in both winter and summer is measured in millions of overnight stays. “We integrate seasonality in various ways, beginning with economic news as we track regional developments and updates from our stations. This is especially true for Savoie, which leans more toward winter tourism, while Haute-Savoie has a more industrial focus. We also provide essential service information, particularly with the influx of tens of thousands of vehicles in February,” he added.
“We work closely with the Savoie Department, which has developed specific services, and coordinate with authorities to gather and relay information. Drivers need updates on traffic, weather and snow conditions. Road information is complicated! Conditions change daily because of snow, cold and other weather phenomena. Our listeners are our patrol team. We’ve been experts at this since 1988. Finally, we incorporate seasonality more entertainingly through games and giveaways. We partner with various regional resorts and offer listeners hundreds of free ski passes each year.”
Like other local stations in the network, France Bleu Pays de Savoie extended its local programming into the afternoons starting on Aug. 26. Now live programming airs from Chambéry every afternoon from 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.
“This afternoon slot is the big addition this season. It’s very music-driven and feel-good, with regional event calendars, features and two popular segments from the morning show we rebroadcast — ‘La bonne nouvelle du jour’ (‘Today’s Good News’), which highlights a local initiative or positive story, and ‘Les petits bonheurs’ (‘Little Joys’), one of our signature segments in which show host Christophe Garnier meets Savoyards — locals from the area spanning Savoie and Haute-Savoie — always closing with the question, ‘What was your last little joy?’”
Our listeners are our patrol team. We’ve been experts at this since 1988.
Looking forward to 2030
Since Sept. 9, the “Ici Matin” (Here This Morning”) morning show on France Bleu Pays de Savoie also airs on France 3 Alpes starting at 6:30 a.m. The show features local humorist Jean-Michel Mattéi, who shares a daily joke about neighboring Swiss customs in his segment “Swiss Cuckoo.” For Lutin, it’s all good fun, “A gentle nod to our Swiss friends,” he says.
Launched in anticipation of the 1992 Albertville Olympics, France Bleu Pays de Savoie initially provided bilingual programming during the Games. Afterward, starting in 1993, it expanded to cover Haute-Savoie and the Ain. “Today, we have more listeners in Haute-Savoie than in Savoie,” notes Lutin.
“We’re the leading local station in our coverage area, with nearly 70,000 listeners and a 7.1% audience share. The station enjoys strong regional recognition, partly due to its founding connection.”
The announcement of the 2030 Olympics in the French Alps has renewed local interest. “For now, it’s still distant, and we haven’t begun work on it. That said, we partnered in 2023 with the World Ski Championships in Courchevel and Méribel, so we know what we’re doing! As for 2030, we’re not fully geared up yet, but we’ve already given Savoyards a voice on the topic, which can be divisive. For now, that’s our role.”
This story first appeared in French in La Lettre Pro.
