Par Louise boutard Published on May 4, 2025 at 4:16 p.m.
“It’s not easy to sum up 40 years in a few words”declare those who brought RVL to life. This radio associative Based in Épouville near Le Havre no longer has sufficient economic means to issue. The volunteers and the office will therefore say goodbye to their listeners on June 30, 2025.
8,000 to 10,000 listeners around Épouville
The association has been in difficulty for about five years. The increase in charges, especially for subsidized contracts, forced the association to draw on its cash to assume the approximately 80,000 euros of annual operation. From now on, this treasury will no longer be enough, and it must be said to see 8,000 to 10,000 potential listeners.
Since March 2014, the association was headed by Paulette Leroux, his sister Gislaine was treasurer. “” I feel like I lose my husband a second timeloose with emotion the widow of Daniel Bocquet, creator of RVL. It was his baby this radio. ”
Associative radio currently had 22 volunteers and five employees. Cyrille Michel, antenna manager, was the sole employee on a permanent contract. On the frequency 103.1, the inhabitants living about 25 to 30 km around Épouville (according to the geography of the cliffs) and even to Honfleur, can listen on RVL 30 hours of direct per day. Diffusion of music with dedications, but also different programs recorded by volunteers. “What I will miss is this family atmosphere”declares Cyrille Michel.
A radio at the heart of community life
The historical program is that of the “accordion alarm clock” on Saturday morning. But the regulars also knew the program on animals, that dedicated to polyphony or, more astonishing for a radio, that in the photo. “The listeners appreciated exchanging live with the animators,” said Gislaine Leroux.
-A little story
The radio was created by Daniel Bocquet in 1982. Electronician, he developed an issuer, at his home in Epouville. It connects a mixer, a microphone and a disk plate, a DIY antenna, a battery and voila. Three later, the pirate radio became associative by finding a room on a proposal from municipal elected officials. He moved to the cellar of a large house, clay path. Even today, the radio occupied the floors of this house.
RVL took part in many events To participate in local associative life: interventions in schools, retirement homes, the Rolleville bread festival, rue aux Enfants in Montivilliers, Polar at the beach in Le Havre, the associations of associations and other craft markets. “Like a local business, we were a local radio that highlights people in the region,” explains Cyrille Michel. Games were organized with local craftsmen. The listeners called.
It is this associative spirit that RVL wanted to keep until the end. No question of adding too many advertisements or elements that would not make sense for a very local media.
To mark this end by a festive atmosphere, a radio of radio vinyls is organized, in the premises, Tuesday May 13 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. After one by one departures, it is on June 30 that the radio will make its last day.The event aims to be festiveeach of the former volunteers and animators will be invited to come and say a word during a free antenna between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. “We will cry afterwards”.
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