Just a few weeks ago, Nostalgie 60/70 could only be heard online. Yet NRJ Group's themed station, devoted to hits from the 1960s and 1970s, has just announced that it has secured an FM frequency in Paris and the wider Île-de-France region. This fast-track journey shows how a programme born online can climb, step by step, the ladder of over-the-air broadcasting.
A selection drawn from Mouv's legacy
The decision comes under a call for applications launched by Arcom, the French media regulator, on 20 May 2026. It covered 31 FM frequencies spread across 30 areas and twelve technical committees, including Paris. Thirty of those frequencies previously belonged to Mouv'. Radio France lost the FM licences of its youth station on 13 May 2026, and Mouv' has been digital-only since 31 August.
Competition was fierce: according to the decision published by the regulator, 140 radio stations applied, with a total of 655 licence applications. Arcom named the successful candidates at its meeting on Tuesday 10 November 2026.
Three steps in a few months
Nostalgie 60/70's 2026 journey comes down to three key dates:
- 24 June: Arcom selects it for a slot on the M1 metropolitan DAB+ multiplex, a licence confirmed at a plenary session on 16 September;
- early October: the station launches on national DAB+, in the slot vacated by Skyrock Klassiks;
- 10 November: it is among the candidates selected for an FM frequency in the Paris region.
It is a separate programme from Nostalgie, which already broadcasts on Paris FM. Nostalgie 60/70 is the group's fifth national radio brand, after NRJ, Chérie FM, Nostalgie and Rire & Chansons. Its playlist runs from Joe Dassin to the Beatles, from Françoise Hardy to the Rolling Stones.
FM as a booster for digital
For Jean-Paul Baudecroux, CEO of NRJ Group, the frequency represents "a tremendous acceleration". Above all, he sees it as a lever to give a decisive boost to the station's DAB+ rollout across France. Île-de-France, the country's largest radio listening market, is meant to serve as a showcase for the brand. The group's press release notes that DAB+ should cover 80% of the population and more than 10,000 km of motorways by the end of 2026.
A word of caution on timing, though: being selected is not yet a licence to broadcast. Arcom plans to issue the licences from this call in the first quarter of 2027. The exact frequency and the date the transmitter goes live have yet to be announced.
What it means for webradios
First, this case shows that a themed format proven in streaming can win over the regulator. The concept, playlist and sound identity existed before the station reached the airwaves: going on air amplified a brand rather than creating one.
It is also a reminder that FM remains a highly coveted asset despite the rise of digital. When 140 stations compete for 31 frequencies, every release counts. Independent broadcasters have every reason to keep a close eye on Arcom's calls, for FM as well as for local DAB+ multiplexes, which are often easier to access.
Finally, the online stream does not disappear once a station is on air. It remains the gateway to smartphones and smart speakers, and the place where a station can test a format before taking the next step. For a webradio, a strong presence in directories and listening apps is therefore still the foundation of any distribution strategy.
Source: Stéphane Larue