Radio in Tahiti: Polynesian stations and online listening

Radio in Tahiti is shared between the public broadcaster Polynésie la 1ère, the news station Radio1 and the music station Tiare FM, all broadcasting in French and reo tahiti, and nearly all offering a free live stream online.

From the first Papeete broadcasts to FM

Polynesian broadcasting began in Papeete in the mid-twentieth century under state control. When the FM band was opened up in the 1980s, private stations appeared, many of them linked to families, churches or political parties, and the local radio landscape diversified.

Polynésie la 1ère radio, the public service

Successor to RFO, the public station belongs to France Télévisions and broadcasts from Pamatai, in the commune of Faa'a. Its morning and evening bulletins cover all five archipelagos, with slots in reo tahiti and cultural magazines also available as podcasts.

Radio1, round-the-clock news

A private station based in Papeete, Radio1 focuses on news flashes, political debates and morning guests. Its website extends the broadcast with articles, traffic updates, flight times at Faa'a airport and the ferry rotations to Moorea, which listeners check daily.

Tiare FM and the music of the islands

Tiare FM claims to be the most popular music station in the fenua, under its slogan "the rhythm of the islands". It plays plenty of local music, from kaina to covers in Tahitian, and runs the Tiare Music Awards honouring Polynesian artists.

How much reo tahiti is heard on air?

Reo tahiti can be heard every day in the bilingual bulletins of Polynésie la 1ère, in listener dedications and in shows hosted by local presenters. Marquesan and Paumotu feature less often, mostly in programmes devoted to the outer archipelagos and cultural festivals.

Radio reception across the archipelagos

In the Marquesas, the Tuamotu or the Austral Islands, FM reception depends on relay transmitters installed on only some islands. On remote atolls, public radio is often the only real-time link with Papeete, especially during cyclone or tsunami alerts.

Streaming from Paris or Montreal

Live streams of Radio1, Tiare FM and Polynésie la 1ère are available on their websites and mobile apps. Remember the time difference: noon in Papeete is 11 pm in Paris during the European winter and midnight in summer.

Podcasts and catch-up audio

Polynésie la 1ère posts some of its bulletins and magazines on the France Télévisions audio platform. Private stations share interview clips on social media, which helps when you need to find exactly what a member of the Assembly of French Polynesia said.

Opinion and community stations

Several Tahiti frequencies have historically belonged to political or religious movements, which shapes the tone of their debates. For balance, compare a private station's political show with the public radio bulletin and with articles from the Tahitian print press.

Sport, surfing and va'a on the airwaves

Stations cover the big local events live: the Hawaiki Nui Va'a race between Huahine and Bora-Bora, surf contests at Teahupo'o and Ligue 1 Mana football matches. Detailed results are also gathered on our Tahiti sports news page.

How reliable is radio news, and how to check it?

A radio flash travels fast and may be corrected within the hour. Before passing on something heard on a Papeete station, check it on the Tahiti Infos website, on TNTV News or in statements from the High Commission of the Republic.

Beyond Tahiti: radio in the French Pacific

The Polynesian model resembles that of Nouméa, where public radio sits alongside highly committed private stations. To compare, see the media of New Caledonia and all the overseas territories gathered on our French overseas press page.

Listening to Tahiti from abroad, step by step

1. Install the Polynésie la 1ère app or bookmark its live radio stream to hear the morning and evening bulletins.
2. Pick a private station such as Radio1 for news flashes and Tiare FM for Polynesian music.
3. Work out the time difference with Papeete, at UTC-10, so you do not miss the live news slots.
4. Follow the stations' social media accounts to receive interview clips and weather warnings.
5. Cross-check anything heard on air against a written source such as Tahiti Infos or TNTV News.
6. During cyclone season, from November to April, keep a radio stream open to follow official instructions.

Listening to Polynesian radio: access and cost

Key facts for listeners

• Languages on air: French and reo tahiti, occasionally Marquesan and Paumotu
• Public radio: Polynésie la 1ère, part of France Télévisions
• Leading private stations: Radio1 (news) and Tiare FM (music)
• Tahiti time zone: UTC-10, no daylight saving
• Local currency: CFP franc (XPF), pegged to the euro
• Cyclone season: November to April

Pitfalls when listening to Tahitian radio

• Taking an on-air debate or a listener's open-mic comment for information verified by the station's newsroom.
• Forgetting that some private frequencies are close to a party or a church and present political news from that angle.
• Playing an old podcast and assuming it is today's bulletin because you did not check the upload date.
• Using an unofficial stream aggregator that carries an outdated streaming link or inserts its own advertising.
• Confusing a weather warning mentioned on air with an official cyclone alert issued by the High Commission.

Your questions about radio in Tahiti