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A typical British radio from the late 1930s. It could receive tramsmissions on Medium, Long and Short wavebands.
As well as conventional tuning it had 6 pre-set stations, 4 on Medium Wave, 2 on Long Wave
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Most of the sound files on this page are in Real Audio
format. If you don't already have a Real Player, you can download a free copy
from www.real.com. The player is
also often available on the CD Roms supplied free with Internet monthlies.
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Radio Normandy
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The first commercial radio in Normandy, the ancestor of free radio transmitted
from Fécamp and Louvetot, in the heart of the Country of Caux. It could be received
in Paris, in London, in Boston and even... in Japan!
In the Thirties, the ancestor of free radio in France is called Radio Normandy.
Located at Fécamp and Louvetot between Yvetot and Caudebec in Caux, the station
becomes very popular and transmits even in English on Sundays.
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Fernand the Large One, whose large father "invented" the Bénédictine liquor,
creates Radio Fécamp on the 17.11.1926. He does not imagine that the station will
receive a notoriety well beyond its area. Soon to become Radio Normandy, it is
listened to in England, a country devoid of commercial radio.
In July 1928, the presidents of seven radio operators clubs in France
(Bolbec, Dieppe, Frileuse, Sanvic, Bléville, Le Havre and Fécamp) merged into the
Federation of the Radio-clubs of High-Normandy, Radio Fécamp
takes the name of Normandy Radio.
In 1929, transmissons take place three times per week, Tuesday, Thursday and
Saturday evenings.
The ambitions of Fernand the Large one are immense. It declares in 1930:
"A Radio Normandy, one sees far and one hopes to see by far. Animated television
exists, I saw it in London. In a few years, beside your high speaker, you will have
your screen and Radio Normandy will have to give hearing and the vision".
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The development of the station
* 1925: first emissions of EF8IC of the RC of Fécamp
* 17 November 1926: called Radio operator Fécamp, tests of modulation with
reading of the local infos
* 1927: first musical transmissions with singers accompanied with the piano.
* 1928: publicity appears.
* February 18, 1929: the radio is recognized by decree and takes during the summer
1929 the name of Normandy Radio.
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* March 1930: four days of tramsmission per week: Monday Wednesday, Thursday, Friday.
Authorization to use lines postal and telecommunications authorities.
* September 1930: opening of an auditorium in Le Havre in the shows of the Frascati
Hotel.
* June 1931: two daily emissions: one at midday starting with the chime of
Bénédictine and the siren of this factory announcing the end of work, the other the
evening from 20 H.
* June 26, 1931: inauguration in Rouen of an auditorium (Town hall).
* February 1932: the height of the masts is increased to 50 m.
* June 1932: agreement with the service of publicity of the Newspaper of Fécamp
authorizing the station to take again the advertisements on the antenna.
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The first images of television transmitted by the Radio transmitter Normandy
(1st French station of television) are received in Le Havre on the 1/02/1932
thanks to Henri de France, future inventor of the SECAM process of television color.
The tests take place twice a week George Cuvier Street in
Fécamp but there are few televiewers.
Listen now to a broadcast (9 minutes) from the late 1930s. The
presenter is Roy Plomley, the creator of the BBC radio program, "Desert Island Discs".
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