Radio in France
French radio stationsare licensed and regulated by theCSA,and public radio services are provided byRadio France.
History
[edit]The history of radio in France began in 1897 whenEugène Adrien Ducretetsuccessfully transmitted radio messages between two Paris landmarks.[1]However, radio only became fully developed during theinterwar period,when theDaladier governmentbrought broadcasting under their centralized control in 1938.[1]
During theFirst World War,GeneralGustave-Auguste Ferriébegan using theEiffel Towerfor radio transmissions.[1]Radiotechnique,founded in 1919 as a holding company forÉmile Girardeau'sSociété française radio-électrique,began manufacturing radio sets in 1921.[2]Radio Normandie (originally Radio Fécamp), created byFernand Le Grand,was licensed by the French government in 1926.[3]In 1931,Leonard Plugge,a British politician, founded the "International Broadcasting Company" and persuaded Le Grand to start broadcasting programs in English.
Post-War
[edit]AfterWorld War II,radio in France became apublic monopoly.
"Peripheral radio"were radio stations transmitting from outside France and therefore operating outside of the public monopoly. These included Europe 1, Sud Radio, Radio Monte Carlo and Radio Luxembourg.[4]
Radio Luxembourgwas broadcasting on Long Wave from Luxembourg before WW2. In 1956, fromGermany Sarreanother "peripheral" station namedEurope 1came on the air on Long Wave, on 183 kHz. Germany's Sarre mainly was aimed at the northern half of France. In 1970 and onwards, "peripherals" would benefit from almost-national coverage due to 2000 kW transmitters. At that time,Radio Monte Carlo(RMC) started to broadcast on Long Wave at 216 kHz. From 1976, the transmitter was allowed to broadcast from France (Roumoules north of Marseille), with 1400 kW being heard in the southern half of France. Meanwhile, Sud Radio on 819 kHz was broadcasting from Andorra for the southwest with 900 kW.
In 1981, as promised by newly electedFrançois Mitterrand,[citation needed]independent stations were allowed, at first with very little power and on FM only.[citation needed]Since 1981, the number of stations in France (public and private) has reached more than 1700. The AM band is not used in France (though it was viral before WW2).
Longwave has been abandoned by Radio France in 2018, Europe 1 in 2019, and RMC in 2020.[clarification needed].Radio Luxembourg abandoned the LW on 1 January 2023. Sud Radio has left AM for FM, where all stations now are. DAB+ is currently being developed to accommodate more programs.
References
[edit]- ^abcRebecca Scales (24 February 2016).Radio and the Politics of Sound in Interwar France, 1921-1939.Cambridge University Press. pp. 26, 197–261.ISBN978-1-107-10867-7.
- ^Parry, Claude (March–April 1963), "Un exemple de décentralisation industrielle: la dispersion des usines de" La Radiotechnique "à l'Ouest de Paris",Annales de Géographie(in French), 72e Année (390), Armand Colin: 148–161,doi:10.3406/geo.1963.16372,JSTOR23445391
- ^"Radio Normandie".Terramedia.Retrieved16 February2020.
- ^Kuhn, Raymond (2006).The Media in France.Routledge.pp. 90–95.ISBN1134980523.
See also
[edit]
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