MediaDays Solutions × Paris Radio Show 2026

Creator economy: opening up the game

Established media on one side, creators on the other: two camps still sizing each other up, while creators have become fully-fledged media in their own right — and play a decisive role in the renewal of the industry. Studios, formats, monetisation, brands: we open up the game rather than settle it, with both camps on stage.

🎯 Target : Media executives, podcast & video production houses, creators and their agents, platforms, creator-led media brands, sales houses looking for new inventory.

Digital Audio: The Invisible Media Becomes Measurable

43 million French audio listeners, 125 M€ in net investments (+26 %), and for the first time digital compensates for the decline in traditional radio. Programmatic audio is exploding (+23.4 %) and auditability — proving that an ad was actually heard — becomes the Holy Grail. NRJ Global is working with IAS on a dedicated SDK: a first in France.

🎯 Target : Audio sales houses, radio stations, podcast platforms and hosts, audio adtech.

Podcast: Monetization, Native vs Replay, and the Video Shift

Podcast confirms its vitality, but its center of gravity is shifting: YouTube has become the world's 2nd podcast platform, and video podcast is taking hold. Good news for reaching younger audiences; bad news for measurement and advertising, as video converts less effectively than pure audio. Among hosts, ad networks and producers, how can a sustainable model be built?

🎯 Target : Podcast producers · Podcast advertising networks · Audio-video monetization managers · Media editorial strategy directors

Radio in the car: winning the dashboard battle

The car is the primary listening location for radio — and it's where radio faces the greatest threat. As dashboards become screens, radio must remain visible and easy to find against global platforms that pay for their placement. In the USA, the fight is to save AM; in Europe, the issue is prominence and the obligation to embed a radio receiver (Digital Networks Act). WorldDAB Automotive has just unveiled a major international study on in-car listening.

🎯 Target : Radio Operations Directors · Digital & DAB+ Strategy Managers · In-car Radio Product Managers · Automotive Manufacturer Relations Managers

Winning Back Youth & Reinventing On-Air Talent

Audiences are aging (one-third of US listeners are 65 and older), yet radio proves it can attract young people when it reinvents itself: Radio France gained 400,000 listeners under 25 in ten years, Nova is exploding. The key: strong talent, modern branding, social and video presence. How do we train, attract and retain the voices of tomorrow?

🎯 Target : Station Directors · Programming Managers · Radio Human Resources Directors · Community Managers and Social Media Managers · Video Content Producers · Talent Scouting Managers

AI in radio: produce, dress, monetize — without losing its soul

Artificial intelligence is THE topic of 2026 — it's even the official theme of World Radio Day. It writes, translates, produces audio packaging, generates voiceovers, tags content and optimizes schedules. Yet 47% of listeners say they would listen less to a podcast using synthetic voices. The key question is: how do we make AI a production copilot without breaking the human connection that makes radio powerful?

🎯 Target : Programming Directors · Podcast Producers and Executive Producers · Radio Technical and Editorial Managers · Control Room Operators and Sound Engineers · Independent Publishers and Studios · Monetization and Ad Sales Managers

Measuring audio in the cross-platform era: FM, DAB+, IP and podcast

Audience measurement is undergoing a major overhaul on both sides of the Atlantic. Médiamétrie is driving a 'total audio' vision where FM, DAB+, IP listening and podcast coexist within the same framework. Nielsen has revolutionized its PPM (3-minute qualification). And the new frontier is auditability: proving that a spot was actually heard. How are ad networks and publishers adapting to this common grammar?

🎯 Target : Advertising Sales Directors · Audience & Research Managers · Podcast Publishers · Radio Commercial Directors

Masterclass — Ensemble pour le DAB+

Introduction ahead of the "Radio in the car: winning the dashboard battle" conference.

From FM Spot to Programmatic Audio

This is the silent revolution in audio advertising: since end of 2025, terrestrial radio has become buyable programmatically via DSPs (Triton/Jelli). Aireal is pushing a 'convergent' audio SSP that brings together FM/DAB+, streaming and podcast in a single system; amily already manages over 75% of private radio ad revenues in the DACH region. How are radio sales houses embracing this automation without cannibalizing direct deals? A 100% international roundtable (English-language). It opens with five minutes of key definitions in French so everyone is on board.

🎯 Target : Radio sales houses · Radio station commercial directors · Podcast editors and audio platforms · Media agencies and programmatic buyers

Radio ad networks & data: towards targeted and addressable audio advertising

Radio advertising is 'going digital': first-party data, targeting, addressable audio and auditability proof. NRJ Global worked with IAS on a dedicated SDK — a first in France. And retail audio (in-store monetization) opens a new inventory (Aireal launches it in Q1 2026). How are radio ad networks transforming their inventory into data-driven offerings without losing the power of mass media?

🎯 Target : Radio ad network directors · Audio monetization and sales managers · Data and audience intelligence managers · Audio/podcast publishers and content producers

DAB+: Deployment, New Services and Business Model

DAB+ is now the foundation for digital broadcasting in Europe: lower transmission costs than FM, better resilience than all-IP in case of crisis, and room for new services. France is targeting 80% coverage by end of 2026. However, deployment is costly and raises questions about the business model. Where do we stand, and what should be done with the new available slots?

🎯 Target : Station Directors · Radio Technical and Engineering Managers · Advertising and Commercial Management · Audio Content and Podcast Publishers · DAB+ Multiplex Operators

Masterclass — Spotwise: selling while the ad is still airing

AI that listens to the airwaves around the clock: competitor spots detected in real time, advertisers identified, sales teams alerted. Introduction ahead of the international "From FM spots to programmatic audio" session.

Synthetic voices, deepfakes & trust: radio as a trusted third party

While radio remains a trusted media, this is an asset to protect in the era of cloned voices and deepfakes. Belgian VRT has begun labeling "AI-generated content". The European AI Act sets a framework. Between ethics, law and listener acceptance, what editorial guidelines should newsrooms adopt?

🎯 Target : Editorial Directors · Compliance and Ethics Officers · General Managers of Radio Stations · Audio Content Producers

Masterclass — Audience acquisition challenges in radio

Introduction ahead of the "Radio sales houses & data: towards targeted, addressable audio advertising" conference.

Public Service Radio & Audio Sovereignty: Funding the Future

Public service funding is wavering: BBC World Service lost 21% of its budget, France abolished the licence fee, several countries are rethinking their model. Against this backdrop, audio sovereignty in the face of global platforms and defending radio as a 'critical infrastructure' of democracy. What models can fund independent public radio?

🎯 Target : General Managers of public radio stations · Financial and public media strategy managers · Political and administrative decision-makers (Culture/Media ministries) · Directors of public advertising sales and commercial partnerships