Azur FM Agde

The story of Azur FM — born from a bold idea

On the FM dial of the Agde area, one frequency carries the voice of the territory: 107.5. Azur FM Agde is a community radio that reaches listeners across Agde, Cap d'Agde and Grau d'Agde. Born from a volunteer initiative led by a core team of presenters with roots in the Alsatian community radio scene, the station officially opened its new studios on 23 May 2026, at 13 avenue du Général de Gaulle, right in the town centre.

A member of the Assemblée Régionale des Radios Associatives Occitanie / Pyrénées-Méditerranée (the regional body for community radio in southern France), Azur FM covers the stories that matter day-to-day: local associations, amateur sport, culture, heritage, mobility, the environment and charitable causes. A voice that belongs to its listeners — and hands them the microphone.

A reference page on agde.city, the tourism and information portal for Cap d'Agde.

2018: a bold idea born in Alsace

The story begins in 2018, more than eight hundred kilometres north-east of Agde. Presenters and technicians from the Alsatian community radio world came together around one idea: to bring the spirit of neighbourhood radio south — to the warm shores of the Mediterranean and, specifically, to Agde. The choice of Agde was deliberate: a town where the river Hérault and the canal du Midi meet the sea at Cap d'Agde, rich in associations, layered history and two distinct rhythms — the busy summer tourist season and a quieter year-round residential life that calls for a dedicated local voice.

The association was officially established in 2018 under the name Azur FM — a nod to the blue of the Mediterranean — with one clear goal: an autonomous FM station, locally rooted, run by volunteers, complementing the large national networks that already cover Hérault.

Three parallel challenges had to be tackled from the outset: civic (creating a genuine space for local expression), technical (obtaining a broadcast licence from Arcom, the French media regulator) and logistical (finding premises, fitting out studios, building a programme schedule). All three were pursued simultaneously, without paid staff, entirely by volunteers.

“This community radio project was born from a slightly mad desire to create, right here in Agde, a genuine neighbourhood media.”

(Original quote in French: « Ce projet de radio associative est né d'une envie un peu folle de créer ici, à Agde, un véritable média de proximité. »)

Six years of groundwork, eight years of volunteer commitment

To understand what Azur FM represents, it helps to distinguish two timelines. The first is the six years of administrative and practical preparation between the project's launch in 2018 and the opening of the new studios in 2026: filing the licence application with Arcom, receiving the 107.5 FM frequency allocation, finding and fitting out the premises at 13 avenue du Général de Gaulle, equipping the studios and meeting broadcast-compliance standards. Six years of often-invisible paperwork, sometimes tedious — but essential.

The second timeline is the eight years of collective volunteer engagement that sustained the project throughout. The team built around Franck Jehl and Sabrina Rondeau never dispersed during the waiting periods: they kept meeting, running test broadcasts, training new volunteers and deepening their ties with local associations. Eight years of a tight-knit community — a powerful sign of genuine local attachment.

The distinction matters: the premises took six years to secure; the people behind them gave eight. Both timelines together explain the solidity of the station.

23 May 2026: the studios open

Friday 23 May 2026 is a milestone. The Azur FM Agde studios at 13 avenue du Général de Gaulle were officially inaugurated in the presence of Liliane Surjous, Deputy Mayor for Culture of the Ville d'Agde, alongside the station's representatives — Franck Jehl (director), Sabrina Rondeau (association president) and the team of volunteers who had driven the project since 2018.

A moment both symbolic and operational: symbolic because it crowned six years of administrative work and eight years of collective commitment; operational because it signalled the full activation of the facilities — control room, recording studio and meeting spaces for guest contributors.

In his address, Franck Jehl stressed the collective dimension of the project:

“A community radio is built through the skills, commitment and experience of each individual.”

(Original quote in French: « Une radio associative se construit grâce aux compétences, à l'engagement et à l'expérience de chacun. »)

He also restated the founding principle of the station:

“A community radio is made with its listeners. The people make the programme.”

(Original quote in French: « Une radio associative, ça se fait avec la population. Ce sont les gens qui font le programme. »)

The studios are not a closed space — they are an open house. The director also put out a direct call to local talent:

“If you live in Agde and have experience in radio, presenting or journalism, don't hesitate to come and flourish with us.”

(Original quote in French: « Si vous habitez Agde et que vous avez eu une expérience dans la radio, l'animation ou le journalisme, n'hésitez pas à venir vous épanouir chez nous. »)

The inauguration is not an ending — it's a beginning. With fully operational studios, Azur FM can now structure its programming, welcome guests in professional conditions and ramp up its output of locally produced content, day after day reinforcing the community pact that defines a neighbourhood radio.

Hyper-local editorial focus

What does Azur FM broadcast? The scope is wide but consistent: everything that touches life in the Agde area. Local associations — the station aims to be their voice, whether they work in heritage, culture, social action or amateur sport. Residents themselves, invited to share their daily lives, initiatives and concerns. Institutions, provided they speak in the spirit of public service rather than political communication.

Amateur sport holds a prominent place: local clubs, regional championships, popular events (Brescoudos Bike Week in August, nautical events at the tip of Cap d'Agde, local running races). Culture in all its forms — summer concerts, exhibitions at the Musée de l'Éphèbe, events in the historic centre. The built and intangible heritage of Agde, an ancient Greek city with deep Mediterranean roots. Mobility — a sensitive subject in a town that juggles permanent residents, commuters, seasonal tourists and transit traffic. And the environment: lagoons, river biodiversity, coastal management, water quality.

Charitable drives, fundraising appeals and solidarity initiatives from local associations round out the picture. Azur FM acts as an amplifier, giving smaller organisations that rarely feature in regional or national media the chance to speak directly to their communities.

A radio that belongs to its listeners

Azur FM Agde operates as a non-profit association (loi 1901). No shareholders, no return-on-investment logic, no salaries to cover. The station runs on the voluntary commitment of its team, membership fees and any public support available to community radio in the region.

This structure is a perfect match for the mission. A community radio does not broadcast to sell audiences to advertisers; it broadcasts to serve a community. In practice, that means the programme schedule is open to participation: you can be a listener in the morning and a contributor in the evening. You can pitch a show, build a project, or host a regular slot.

This openness is particularly relevant for anyone who has experience in radio or presenting. The director said it plainly at the inauguration. The invitation is open. Interested candidates can get in touch via contact@azurfm.fr or on 04 67 31 76 09.

Why tune in to Azur FM

For residents of Agde, Cap d'Agde and Grau d'Agde, Azur FM 107.5 offers something rare: a frequency that talks about their own town, not just Montpellier, Béziers or Paris. A slower, more grounded relationship with local news — the antidote to saturated national feeds.

For visitors — British holiday-makers renting at Grau d'Agde, Dutch campers, German guests at the naturist village, French families in their holiday apartments — it is a window into the real life of Agde, beyond the beaches and tourist trails. Understanding a place through its associations, its faces and its local debates: that is what a neighbourhood radio makes possible.

For local associations themselves, Azur FM is a natural editorial partner. An event, an AGM, a volunteer campaign: each is an opportunity to go on air and mobilise the community.

On 107.5 FM, on azurfm.fr, or via the station's social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn), Azur FM Agde is there to be heard, watched and, above all, experienced as the voice of a territory speaking to its people.

Contact Azur FM Agde

Azur FM Agde is a member of the Assemblée Régionale des Radios Associatives Occitanie / Pyrénées-Méditerranée (the regional body for community radio in southern France).