Medi1 Radio

Médi1 was created in 1980 under the name of Radio Méditerranée Internationale. Médi1 Radio is the common name for it. Owned by the company of the same name, it remained the only privately owned radio allowed in the country for 24 years, until the opening up of radio airwaves.

Based in Tanger, Médi1 Radio broadcasts in both French and Arabic and presents itself as a generalist audience radio, covering national and international news, as well as entertainment through talk shows, debates etc.

At the time it was created, the radio’s aim was to compete with Alger Chaine 3 and draw bigger crowds, at a time when the political climate between Morocco and Algeria was incredibly tense due to the war in the Sahara. It is the product of a French-Moroccan collaboration and a diplomatic strategy between late Moroccan king Hassan II, who reigned from 1961 until his death in 1999, and former French president Valerie Giscard d’Estaing, who headed France from 1974 to 1981. This collaboration was reflected in the ownership structure with an ownership division of 51% - 49% between Moroccan - French capital owners.

As the result of a royal ambition, Médi1 Radio is known as a radio of consensus, aimed at informing about  national and international affairs, while not putting any distress on the system. For example, when the Oufkir family escaped Morocco in 1987, they asked Médi1 Radio for help in delivering a message before going to Europe. The radio declined to do so and the Oufkirs turned to Radio France International to claim their innocence. During the 1981 riots and 2003 attacks, Médi1 Radio was also criticized for relaying the events with serious delays, once they were commented on other airwaves.

It was directed by Pierre Casalta, a former French journalist, from 1980 to 2010. It has been headed by Hassan Khiyar since then. Khiyar is also the CEO of the sister Medi1 TV.