Nostalgie Clermont-Ferrand

Nostalgie Clermont-Ferrand is the Auvergne outpost of a French radio institution, and it knows exactly what it's doing. The format is chanson and variété: Dalida, Michel Sardou, Johnny Hallyday, France Gall, a little Téléphone when the mood takes them. Nothing here tries to be clever. That's the appeal. Radio in France rarely feels this at home with itself. The playlist leans on the '60s through the '80s, French-language pop first, the occasional Anglo track (Beatles, Dire Straits) slipping through. Local windows carry their own news, weather, and ads, which is what separates the Clermont feed…