NRJ Group was founded in 1981 by Jean-Paul Baudecroux, an entrepreneur from France's Loire Valley. His vision was to establish a radio station in France with an edgy rock ‘n’ roll format. The station was named NRJ, an abbreviation for ‘Nouvelle Radio Joie’. Since its launch, the company has grown and expanded its footprint in France and abroad. Some of NRJ’s more notable acquisitions include Chérie FM (2010), Radio Contact (2011), RTL2 (2011), Virgin Radio France (2012), and Rire & Chansons (2013).
