The Power of Journalism

Less than 24 hours have passed since the release of a joint investigation by Initiative FoReDi and The Insider about the radio station NRJ (ENERGY), which revealed that broadcasting of the French radio brand had begun in Russian-occupied territory in Ukraine.

The investigation caught the attention of the French newspaper Libération, which requested a comment from the rights holder of the NRJ brand. The NRJ company stated that the contract, signed before the war, "does not allow broadcasting in Donetsk", as this territory is internationally recognized as part of Ukraine. Moreover, the contract "strictly prohibits any political messages."

NRJ has promised to immediately terminate the contract.“The procedure is already underway,” the company stated, adding that since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, NRJ has not received any payments under this agreement.

It can be assumed that in Russia, NRJ (ENERGY) will soon change its name and stop receiving branded jingles and voiceovers from international pop stars provided by the French rights holder.

To conclude: if you license or sell a franchise, it’s essential to closely monitor how and for what purposes your brand is being used.