Georges Lang, born on November 16, 1947, in Metz, is a French radio and television host.
Specializing in Anglo-American music—primarily from the 1960s to the 1980s, and especially music from the United States (rock 'n' roll, pop, and country)—he has worked at the radio station RTL since 1971.
In 1971, he joined RTL, where, starting in December, he hosted overnight shows from the Villa Louvigny studios in Luxembourg. From May 22, 1973, he hosted *Les Nocturnes*[3] every night from midnight to 3 a.m., later assisted by Lionel Richebourg and Jean-François Johann.
In 1979, he was tasked—alongside Dominique Farran, Bernard Schu, and Jean-Bernard Hebey—with hosting the weekend music programming. This was the "WRTL" era.
In the program *Saga*, he recounted the history of rock 'n' roll stars with the help of Jean-François Johann.
In 1990, he left Villa Louvigny for a new studio on the Kirchberg Plateau[4]. In 1992, he created *Classic-Rock*, a show later hosted by Jean-François Johann. With *Beach-party*, he dedicated the summer months (July and August) to Californian music from the 1960s and 1970s (airing from 11 p.m. to midnight).
In December 2000, RTL's management at the time decided to give the station a younger image by assigning certain time slots to other hosts; he, along with Fabrice and Philippe Bouvard, was dropped from the schedule. Following pressure from listeners, they were reinstated a few weeks later. He then hosted his shows from the station's Paris studios on Rue Bayard. On May 22, 2003, he celebrated the 30th anniversary of *Les Nocturnes*, an occasion marked by the release of a 36-track double CD.
On November 8, 2007, the Country Music Association (CMA) in Nashville presented him with the Country International Broadcaster Award. This honor recognized the radio host who had made the most significant contribution to radio broadcasting outside the United States, specifically for his program *WRTL-Country*[5]. In 1995, he had already received the Wesley Rose Award[5] from the same CMA for the quality of his programs, in which he had hosted prestigious artists such as Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, and Emmylou Harris. On May 22, 2008, he celebrated the 35th anniversary of *Les Nocturnes*.
In 2011, he released a collection album titled *La Collection Georges Lang*, featuring 75 songs that encapsulated his 38 years hosting *Les Nocturnes*. Volume 2 was released for the program's 39th anniversary. Volume 3—a four-CD compilation—was released for the 40th anniversary, which was officially celebrated on May 22, 2013, with Johnny Hallyday appearing as a guest and co-host for the music programming[6].
At the start of the broadcasting season in September 2014, the show *Saga* was cancelled following the retirement of Jean-François Johann, the program's producer, writer, and translator.
During the 2014–2015 season, he continued to host *La Collection RTL* (Monday–Friday, 11 PM – midnight), *Les Nocturnes* (Monday–Thursday, midnight – 3 AM), *WRTL Country* (Friday, midnight – 3 AM), and *Beach Party* (Monday–Friday, summer only)[7], as well as *La Veillée de Noël* (December 24) and *RTL sur son 31* (December 31).
In September 2015, Georges Lang saw his lineup of shows reduced, leaving him with two hours of airtime from Monday to Thursday. Notably, *WRTL Country*—one of his flagship Friday shows, which had earned him two awards—was not renewed. *Les Nocturnes* was cut by two hours; the show, which had been running for over 42 years, was thereafter broadcast from midnight to 1 AM, Monday through Thursday. *La Collection* retained its usual time slots. The schedule change resulted in the loss of the Friday evening music block, with the cancellation of the "Beach Party" edition of *La Collection* and *WRTL Country*. However, following listener pressure, these two shows were reinstated in the Friday evening lineup, albeit following the same scheduling pattern as weekdays: *La Collection* from 11 p.m. to midnight, and *WRTL* from midnight to 1 a.m.
At the start of the September 2016 season, his airtime was reduced further. The Friday evening music session was dropped in favor of a rerun of *Les Grosses Têtes*. *WRTL Country* was moved to Thursday nights from midnight to 1 a.m. *La Collection* remained scheduled from Monday to Thursday (11 p.m. to midnight), and *Les Nocturnes* from Monday to Wednesday (midnight to 1 a.m.).
At the start of the September 2018 season—marking his 45th year on RTL—his airtime shifted to the weekends: *La Collection* (Beach Party edition) on Fridays from 11 p.m. to midnight, followed by *WRTL Country* from midnight to 1 a.m.; *La Collection* followed by *Les Nocturnes* on Saturdays from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m.; and the same schedule on Sunday nights, except that *Les Nocturnes* regularly hosted guests starting at midnight[8]. The show was also broadcast live in Belgium on Bel RTL.
On May 21, 2023, he celebrated the 50th anniversary of the show *Les Nocturnes*[9], holding the record for the longest tenure by a single host on the same program[10]. To mark the occasion, a compilation titled *50 ans de Nocturnes* was released on June 29, 2023, available as a 20-track double vinyl set[11] and an 83-track 5-CD box set. As of September 2023, *Les Nocturnes* airs on Saturdays from midnight to 1 a.m. and on Sundays from midnight to 2 a.m. *WRTL Country* is scheduled for Saturdays from 1 a.m. to 2 a.m. *La Collection* airs on Fridays and Saturdays.
You can listen Georges La Collection Georges Lang https://www.rtl.fr/radios
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