Introducing Virgin Radio and Virgin 17!

Starting on 1 January at midnight, Lagardère Active’s music segment will undergo the significant rebranding of its pop-rock radio station and music TV channel. More than just a mere change of name, Europe 2 and Europe 2 TV will be taking on a new dimension and a new state of mind – a Virgin state of mind, reflecting that of its founder, Sir Richard Branson, meaning a relaxed attitude, close contact with the audience, freedom, respect for others and sharing. These and many others are among the symbolic values of a brand and group with its sights set firmly on the future. Children of rock, digital ‘natives’ and more: there’ll be a place for everyone, whatever their tribe, on Virgin Radio and Virgin 17. The two brands are fully aligned with the sociological and technological changes taking place in society, as well as with the new course charted since 2006 by Lagardère Active, which has set itself the task of completely transforming its activities by going all-digital and developing its business model with a view to becoming one of the leading publishers and producers worldwide of content distributed via the press, radio, television and the Internet. The strategy involves making the transition from a vertical model, based on media outlets, to a horizontal model, based on the publication and aggregation of content and on the group’s best-performing segments – and among the latter, music leads the way. Now more than ever before, Lagardère Active is a brand factory and a creator of properties with worldwide reach. This rebranding will serve to bring new energy to our music radio station and digital terrestrial music channel. Our new momentum will make it possible to create even higher levels of awareness for them and to offer their audiences more. Following Virgin Radio in India, Thailand, Italy and Great Britain (and soon in Dubai), we are proud to be able, in turn, to add the colors of a brand with a resolutely international dimension and to make our own contribution to the party with the free music TV channel, Virgin 17. Humor, glamour and boldness are the three fundamentals of the new Virgin Radio and Virgin 17, with the single-minded promise that you will “

Get More!” What else could I wish for you but “Hope you enjoy it!”

Didier Quillot
Chairman of the Lagardère Active Management Board

What an adventure, a fantastic adventure
The day that Didier Quillot called me to confirm that Virgin had accepted our proposal to transform Europe 2 into Virgin Radio and Europe 2 TV into Virgin 17, I had the feeling that this would be the beginning of a wonderful adventure, a fantastic adventure of the kind that one is rarely offered in one’s professional life.
And now it’s finally here. My staff and I will be taking immense, intense pleasure in offering you this new radio station and music channel.
Virgin Radio will be an outlet that refuses to limit itself in creative or broadcasting terms.
While waiting for digital radio and all the new technological opportunities it will bring with it, Virgin Radio will be deploying exclusive programming and original content as well as developing its participatory community on the Net, with the aim of becoming a medium for discovery, exchange and sharing, one that marries sound, pictures and words.
Virgin 17, a multi-network channel – digital terrestrial, cable, ADSL, Internet and mobile – will be offering its programs live and in non-linear ways. A free music channel, it will be filling its programming with original productions that differ greatly from what is currently available on TV.
Virgin 17 will be a trans-generational innovator in the publication of original audio and images.
Bold, funny, extreme, knowing, unexpected, exciting, unrestrained and glamorous, Virgin Radio and Virgin 17 will be pure “Get More!”
You want more? We’re giving it to you!
Welcome to Virgin Radio and Virgin 17.

Christophe Sabot
Managing Director of Lagardère Active’s Music Division

Virgin Radio and Virgin 17: the “Get More!” state of mind

Adopting a rock spirit and embodying timeless style, Virgin Radio is a state of mind.
Throwing aside the restrictions of the day-to-day, claiming music as a lifestyle, embodying a timeless spirit: Virgin 17 is a state of mind.

This state of mind feeds off the magical universe that is the Virgin brand: a high-quality, powerful, prestigious name that is both universal and famous.

With an iconic logo – known in popular circles as “blobby” – and a highly recognizable shade of red (like the blood that runs in our veins), the Virgin brand has been instantly, clearly identifiable since the 1970s.

From being a brand, Virgin has developed into a culture, even a lifestyle, cast in the image of its founder, Sir Richard Branson – plus, of course, that little bit extra that the others don’t have.

Virgin Radio and Virgin 17 represent a style, a certain alchemy, a knowing blend of boldness, glamour and humor.

Of course, Virgin Radio will cultivate this rock attitude while promoting the emergence of new musical talent among other things, but it must also, above all, develop the concepts of sharing and respect for others while establishing itself as a key player in the domains of sustainable development and social responsibility.

Beyond the music, Virgin Radio will be looking to add value to everything it offers and to awaken the imagination.

The only trans-generational music channel broadcast on free digital terrestrial TV, Virgin 17 is set to crank things up a gear, introducing a noticeable shift in its programming. Soon to hit the air: a change in tone, of course, but Virgin 17 also intends above all to develop the concepts of sharing and respect for other people while establishing itself as a key player in the domains of sustainable development and social responsibility.

Beyond the music, Virgin Radio will be looking to add value to everything it offers and to awaken the imagination.

More than a radio station, more than a TV channel:
Bolder, more glamorous, funnier – “Get More!”

The spirit of Virgin Radio and Virgin 17 is the spirit of Virgin: the “Get More!” promise, which is part of the brand’s genetic code.
“Get More!” is a state of mind – that of an audacious, imaginative, glamorous, fun media brand that always serves up more to always stay as close as possible to its audience, bringing together a broad demographic and appealing to people anywhere, everywhere and then giving them that little bit more.

With Virgin Radio, everything lives on the edge: day-to-day life sheds its shackles to become more exciting, more knowing, more extreme, with more rock attitude – in short, “Get More!”
“Get More!“ reflects Virgin 17’s full lifestyle, musical and audience diversity.

Appealing to people anywhere, everywhere by giving them that little bit more, at Virgin 17, music will be pushed to the limits: day-to-day life sheds its shackles to become more exciting, more knowing, more extreme, cooler – in short, “Get More!”