Is the future of Medi 1 still uncertain?
It seems uncertain because SNRT, its new owner, is refusing to comment, but the transmitter’s power has been reduced on 171 kHz.
The history of this established radio station is quite curious. It was on March 28, 1978, during a visit to France by Hassan II, that the decision was made to create a Franco-Moroccan commercial radio station, and the project management was entrusted to the French company SOFIRAD.
The Franco-Moroccan agreement establishing this radio station, as well as its specifications, remained confidential, and its legal status remained unclear because the documents were never published in the Official Bulletin.
Radio Méditerranée Internationale Médi 1 was launched in 1980 and was 25.5% owned by the Moroccan Bank for Foreign Trade, 25.5% by the Omnium Nord Africain group, and 49% by France.
The French stake was held through the Compagnie Internationale de Radio et Télévision (CIRT), whose parent company was SOFIRAD, which belonged to the French state. From the outset, France (which held only a minority stake) guaranteed that this radio station would never become part of the French public broadcasting holding company, Audiovisuel extérieur de la France.
A state subsidy (in the range of 1 to 2 million euros) was paid to Médi 1 for about twenty years. However, this subsidy was insufficient to achieve operational balance. Subsequently, the strong growth of the Moroccan advertising market and the de facto exclusivity enjoyed by Médi 1 improved its results: profits reached 1.4 million francs in 1994. The station took advantage of this to invest in and modernize its facilities in order to increase its audience in Algeria and Tunisia via longwave broadcasting.
Médié 1 was independent of France, but for 30 years, the CEO was Pierre Casalta: a former journalist with Radio Monte Carlo and close to Sofirad. From 1991, CIRT, representing Sofirad, was responsible for recruiting French journalists and making them available to Médi1. A subsidy of 7 million francs from the French government covered personnel costs.
Following France’s withdrawal, Médi1 became a private, commercial company. French and Moroccan partners, including banks and large corporations, were represented on the board of directors.
In recent years, the Moroccan government’s desire to create a public broadcasting sector, including the acquisition of 86.3% of Médi1 radio by the National Broadcasting and Television Company (SNRT), has brought this operation to fruition.
It is impossible to have a clear vision of the future of longwave radio in Morocco, especially since SNRT has ceased broadcasting from its Azila transmitter. Médi1 covers Morocco on FM. Longwave radio covers the greater Maghreb region (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Mauritania, and part of Libya), as well as the Mediterranean coast (Spain, France, and Italy).
Maintaining the Nador transmitter represents a significant financial burden. The antennas underwent major upgrades in 2009 at a cost of €30 million, 50% of which was funded by the Moroccan government. However, the transmitters have not been replaced and are now nearing the end of their lifespan.
Radio Magazine Facebook group (2026-07-17)