Radio Luxembourg (English)

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Radio Luxembourg is the name of a commercial radio station that has broadcast in many languages in conjunction with a television service operated from the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. This article is about the English language service that broadcast between 1933 until 1939 and from 1951 until 1992. For the new 2005 service and other languages see the disambiguation links at Radio Luxembourg.

The English language service of Radio Luxembourg was an important forerunner of pirate radio and modern commercial radio in the United Kingdom. It was an effective way to advertise products by circumventing British broadcasting restrictions that were in place at the time.

Location of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (shown in red circle), home of the Radio Luxembourg transmitters, illustrating its relationship to listeners on the continent of Europe and within the British Isles.
Location of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (shown in red circle), home of the Radio Luxembourg transmitters, illustrating its relationship to listeners on the continent of Europe and within the British Isles.

Contents

[edit] Preamble

In 1922, the British government awarded a monopoly broadcasting license to a single British Broadcasting Company whose shares were owned by British and American electrical companies. Although in theory the BBC could have sold sponsored airtime, it attempted to gain its revenue by selling of its own brand of licensed radio receivers that were manufactured by the stockholding member companies of the BBC. This arrangement lasted until 1927, and that is when the broadcasting license of the original BBC was allowed to expire. The assets of the former commercial company were then sold to a new non-commercial British Broadcasting Corporation which operated under a UK charter from The Crown.

With no possibility of commercial broadcasting available from inside the UK, a former RAF Captain, British entrepreneur (and in 1935 Conservative Party Member of Parliament for Colchester in Essex named Leonard F. Plugge, formed his own International Broadcasting Company. The IBC began leasing time on transmitters in continental Europe and then reselling it as sponsored English language programming aimed at audiences in the British Isles. Because Plugge successfully demonstrated that State monopolies such as the BBC monopoly could be broken, other parties became attracted to the idea of creating a new commercial radio station specifically for this purpose.

[edit] Formation of Radio Luxembourg

In the Grand Duchy during 1924, Francois Aneu built a 100 watts transmitter that he used to broadcast military music concerts and plays to listeners in Luxembourg. Because the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (see map), is centrally located on the continent of Europe, it became the ideal location for other transmitters to be aimed at reaching audiences in many nations, including the United Kingdom. Aneu became inspired by the activities of Captain Plugg who was using transmitters licensed in other nations to broadcast English language commercial radio programs into the British Isles where commercial broadcasting had not been licensed by the British government. On May 11, 1929 he brought together a group of mainly French entrepreneurs and formed the Luxembourg Society for Radio Studies (La Société Luxembourgeoise d'Etudes Radiophoniques) as a pressure group to force the government of Luxembourg to issue them with a commercial broadcasting license.

On December 19, 1929 the government passed a law that would award a monopoly license to conduct a commercial radio broadcasting franchise from the Grand Duchy. On December 29, this license was awarded to the Society which in turn created the Luxembourg Broadcasting Company (Compagnie Luxembourgeoise de Radiodiffusion) to be identified on the airwaves as Radio Luxembourg.

In May 1932 Radio Luxembourg began test transmissions directed at the British Isles. The reaction from the British government was hostile due to the fact that the Long Wave Band used for these tests radiated a far superior signal to anything previously received from outside of the country. The British Government accused Radio Luxembourg of pirating the various wavelengths that it was testing. The station had planned to commence regular broadcasts on June 4, 1933 but the complaints caused Radio Luxembourg to keep shifting its wavelength. On January 1, 1934 a new international wavelength agreement came into effect and shortly afterwards Radio Luxembourg commenced a regular schedule of English language commercial radio transmissions from 8:15 AM until Midnight on Sundays, and at various times during the rest of the week.

Radio Luxembourg began broadcasting in both the French and English languages via a new 200kW transmitter broadcasting on 1304 metres, 230 kcs., in the European Long Wave Band. The English service was leased to Radio Publicity (London) Ltd in England. In December 1933 they transferred 23 years old Stephen Williams from directing their English language commercial programmes that had been transmitted over Radio Paris, to become the first manager of their English service on Radio Luxembourg.

[edit] Reference

  • National and International Systems of Broadcasting, by Walter B. Emery. 1969. Michigan State University Press. See pages 158-159.
  • From International Waters by Mike Leonard. 1996. Forest Press (Heswall). See page 5.

[edit] First commercial era

[edit] 1933-1939

In the years from 1933 to 1939, the English service of Radio Luxembourg gained a large audience in both the UK and other countries on the European continent with sponsored programming that was aired from noon until midnight on Sundays and at various times during the rest of the week.

[edit] Programmes

  • These were some of the shows heard in 1935 as reported in the May 3 edition of Radio Pictorial programme schedule for that month and day:
    • Sundays: 12:00 Noon - Musical Voyage - with Bobbie Comber and Reginald Purdell and sponsored by Halls Wine.
      • 12:15 PM - Do-Do Broadcasts - sponsored medication programme "for asthma suffers".
      • 12:30 PM - Golden Hour of Music - the Irish Concert recorded programme
      • 1:00 PM - Zam-Buk Broadcast - the latest dance music sponsored by a medication "for cuts, burns and bruises."
      • 1:30 PM - Littlewoods Broadcast - sponsored by a football pools coupon company in Liverpool.
      • 2:00 PM - English service ends until 2:30 PM.
      • 2:30 PM - Vernon's All-Star Variety Concert - gramophone records presented by a football pools company.
      • 5:30 PM - League of Ovaltineys - presented by the makers of Ovaltine. (The anthem of this children's show was still being celebrated by fan sites in 2007. Another version of the Ovaltineys programming began again after WWII on Radio Luxembourg over its 208 wavelegth.)

[edit] Presenters

  • Stephen Williams - the first station manager who resumed his duties with the English service when the station resumed commercial English language transmissions after WWII.
  • Gerald Carnes.

[edit] World War II

[edit] 1940-1945

On September 21, 1939 the the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg closed down its commercial radio service in order to protect the neutrality of the Grand Duchy during World War II. (See Radio 1212.)

[edit] Second commercial era

[edit] 1946-1953

Radio Parade magazine, June 3, 1951 announcing the opening of Radio Luxembourg II on 208 metres in the Medium Wave Band.
Radio Parade magazine, June 3, 1951 announcing the opening of Radio Luxembourg II on 208 metres in the Medium Wave Band.

When the United Nations armed forces vacated the Radio Luxembourg premises at the close of WWII, the English language service attempted to recommence transmissions to the United Kingdom as a full time commercial radio station using the European Long Wave Band and under the pre-war management of Stephen Williams.

During the War Geoffrey Everitt served his last few months in Luxembourg and this led to his employment by Stephen Williams on June 21, 1946. Williams soon left the station and Everitt found himself in charge of a small on air staff of three women and one man. Because of the dearth of advertising available in English, the early morning shows on long wave service quickly disappeared and made way for French language programmes. More contractions followed and this led to cuts in more of the morning, afternoon and evening programming in English.

By the dawn of the 1950s sponsorship of the English service had begun to grow once more and while some of the English language programmes continued via Radio Luxembourg I on Long Wave, a second but less powerful wavelength was opened up as Radio Luxembourg II on Medium Wave.

In 1955, Hal Lewis who was better known at Hawaiin radio station KPOA-AM as J. Akuhead Pupule (and later became the hot morning dj at KGMB in Honolulu, Hawaii during 1965), offered to buy the morning time from 6 AM to 9 AM for his own show on 208, but his offer was rejected. Unfortunately the 208 signal could only reach the United Kingdom with any strength after dark when it was able to strike the ionosphere and bounce back as a skip across the British Isles.

Because the propagation of this AM wavelength was treated as though it were a shortwave signal, its reception was very similar and this resulted in dramatic fading in the southern part of the UK, with a much stronger signal being received in Northern England, Scotland and Ireland. It was this second wavelength that eventually became dedicated to English language programming after 6 PM under the slogan of "208 - Your station of the stars", which not only reflected the entertainers heard on the station, but the manner in which the station was bounced off the ionosphere and down to listeners from the nighttime sky.

[edit] Programmes

March 1952 advertising for the Dan Dare Monday to Friday serial as it appeared in 208, the program listing guide to Radio Luxembourg in English.
March 1952 advertising for the Dan Dare Monday to Friday serial as it appeared in 208, the program listing guide to Radio Luxembourg in English.
  • These were some of the shows heard in March of 1952 as reported in the 208 programme schedule for that month and year:
    • Sundays: 6:15 PM - Ovaltineys' Concert Party - a version of the popular show that was originally broadcast before WWII over the original Radio Luxembourg Long Wave station.
      • 9:15 PM - Leslie Welch - "the famous Memory Man.".
      • 10:45 PM - The Answer Man - "anything you want to know.", (Sundays, Wednesdays, Fridays).
      • 11.00 PM - Top Twenty - introduced by Pete Murray.
    • Mondays: 7:15 PM - The Adventures of Dan Dare, "Pilot of the future" - fifteen minutes serial heard Monday to Friday and featuring the voice of Noel Johnson who also played the part of Dick Barton on BBC radio. This serial began on July 1, 1951 and ran for five years.
    • 9:30 PM - Perry Mason serial heard Monday through Friday.
    • Tuesdays: 10:55 PM - Soccer of Leicester - odds announcement.
    • Wednesdays: 8:30 PM - The Story of Dr. Kildare- every Wednesday starring Lew Ayres, produced in Hollywood by MGM.
    • Thursdays: 8:00 PM - Music From the Ballet.
      • 8:30 PM - Movie Magazine with Wilfrid Thomas.
      • 11:00 PM - Old Fashioned Revival Hour - religion.
    • Fridays: 8:00 PM - Scottish Requests with Peter Madren.
    • Saturdays: 7:00 PM - Chance of a Lifetime - quiz programme with Dick Emery.
      • 10:00 PM - At Two-O-Eight - dance music with Russ Morgan Orchestra compered by Pete Murray.
      • 11:00 PM - Bringing Christ to the Nations - The Lutheran Hour.

[edit] Presenters

  • Stephen Williams - who was the English service manager before before WWII, resumed his duties when commercial broadcasting began again.
  • Ursula Brennan - Patricia Giles - Beatrice Feltes - John De Denghy - record presenters who all left the station with Stephen Williams around 1948.
  • Geoffrey Everitt - joined Radio Luxembourg on June, 21, 1946 after being demobbed from British Army in Luxembourg. He was hired by Stephen Williams and when Williams returned to the UK, Everitt took over his job.
  • Teddy Johnson - joined in May 1948 and he and Everitt ran the English service in Luxembourg by themselves until 1950 due to the lack of advertising income. Then Johnson returned to England to develop his singing career and later returned to join Pete Murray.
  • John Drexler - joined after Johnson departed but Drexler left after one month.
  • Roger Moffet; Richard Beynon; Warren Miesel all joined with Drexler and left shortly after Drexler.
  • Pete Murray - joined with Drexler, Beynon and Miesel.
  • Peter Madren - joined Everitt, Johnson and Murray in May 1951, although Murray left to make a movie, but returned upon its completion.
  • Alan Dell
  • Kent Walton

[edit] 1954-1963

Following the merger of the English language service of Radio Luxembourg I with the new English language service of Radio Luxembourg II on 208 metres in the Medium Wave Band, the station came to be known as Radio Luxembourg. The station sign-on time at dusk varied according to a Summer or Winter schedule to allow maximum benefit to be gained from a skywave propagation at night that covered the British Isles, although reception was stronger in Northern England due to the skip of the signal which tended to fade in and out in signal strength like a shortwave radio station. By restricting the service to nighttime the sales representatives were able to sell most of the available airtime available to spot and sponsored commercials. One spot commercial that became burned into the minds of every Radio Luxembourg listener was the precise spelling of Horace Batchelor's address to receive his "Infra-Draw Method" for winning money on football pools.

[edit] Programmes

Shadow Man by Edward J. Mason (author of the BBC serial Dick Barton), was presented every Tuesday evening at 8:30 PM on Radio Luxembourg by the makers of Stork margarine. The promotional ad appeared in the 208 Magazine programme guide for November 1955.
Shadow Man by Edward J. Mason (author of the BBC serial Dick Barton), was presented every Tuesday evening at 8:30 PM on Radio Luxembourg by the makers of Stork margarine. The promotional ad appeared in the 208 Magazine programme guide for November 1955.
Alan Freed was the big 208 feature in Jamboree on Saturday nights where he presented rock 'n' roll music via transcription discs recorded in New York City while working for WINS
Alan Freed was the big 208 feature in Jamboree on Saturday nights where he presented rock 'n' roll music via transcription discs recorded in New York City while working for WINS
  • These were some of the shows heard in December of 1956 as reported in the 208 programme schedule for that month and year:

[edit] Presenters

  • Keith Fordyce - joined in 1955.
  • Barry Alldis - Australian who joined the 208 team in 1956 and stayed until 1964 when he left to work for BBC radio. He returned to Luxembourg in 1975 and remained on the staff until his death in London on November 21, 1982.
  • Sam Costa

[edit] 1964-1967

Until March of 1964, Radio Luxembourg had enjoyed its own commercial radio monopoly of English language programming heard within the UK. Before WWII, Luxembourg had broadcast to Britain in the European Long Wave, and although this same service had been revived after the War, all English language programmes had been merged into a single Medium Wave transmission that could only reach audiences in the British Isles at night. Unfortunately its nightly signal was mainly effective by its skywave propagation which resulted in a pattern of fading heard on receiving sets in the UK.

In March 1964 Radio Caroline began daytime commercial radio transmissions to southern England from a ship anchored less than four miles off its coastline. In the primary reception areas of Caroline her groundwave signal was strong and unaffected during the daylight hours by fading and interference. Following the success of this first offshore station others soon followed and formed a fleet that ringed the British Isles. These transmissions were eventually extended around the clock and featured many different broadcasting formats.

As a result of this competition, Radio Luxembourg was forced to abandon its original style of sponsored programming for a more flexible continuity. Its new format featured mainly spot advertising within live music programming presented by DJs, who in many instances had been recruited from the offshore stations.

In August 1967 British legislation came into effect that forced all but two Caroline stations off the air by shutting off their means to sell commercial advertising in the UK. However, simultaneously with the demise of offshore "pirate radio", the British government instructed the BBC to create its own non-commercial replacement service called Radio 1. While Luxembourg almost had the UK commercial airwaves to itself, it was still restricted to its original fading nighttime service.

[edit] Presenters

[edit] 1968-1988

By the middle of 1968 even the two Caroline offshore stations had left the air and while other attempts were made to restart offshore radio commercial broadcasts aimed at the UK during the dawn of the 1970s, Luxembourg did not face commercial competition, only a growing expansion for audience share by more BBC programming services. Commercial competition began anew for 208 in 1973, when the BBC radio monopoly was finally terminated by the government through the introduction of Independent Local Radio, funded by the sale of commercial air time.

In 1983 Radio Luxembourg marked its fiftieth anniversary as a station, but it had little to celebrate as the British commercial radio stations kept whittling away the 208 audience and advertising, while a brief replay of competition for audiences began to emerge from off the British coastline with new radio ship transmissions.

[edit] Programmes

  • These were the shows heard in February of 1983 as reported in the Radio Luxembourg Research Report of 208 listeners:
    • Sundays: 7:00 PM - Haunted Studio - with Stuart and Ollie Henry. 9:00 PM - Star Chart and Top 30 UK Singles - with Tony Prince.. 11:00 PM - Sunday's Top 20's - with Barry Alldis and Rob Jones.. 1:00 AM - Earthlink - with Benny Brown.
    • Mondays: 7:00 PM - Battle of the Giants; Top 30 Airplay; Top 30 Disco - with Rob Jones and Benny Brown. 1:00 AM - Earthlink - with Barry Alldis.
    • Tuesdays: 7:00 PM - 208 Editorial; Beatle Hour; Daily Mirror Rock and Pop Club; Top 30 UK; op 30 Albums - with Rob Jones and Barry Alldis. 9:00 PM - Top 30 UK; Top 30 Albums - with Benny Brown. 1:00 AM - Earthlink - with Mike Hollis.
    • Wednesdays: 7:00 PM - Gold and Games - with Rob Jones and Benny Brown. 9:00 PM - American Top 30 - with Bob Stewart. 11:00 PM - Top 30 Easy Listening - with Benny Brown. 1:00 AM - Earthlink - with Mike Hollis.
    • Thursdays: 7:00 PM - The Number Ones; Top of the Pops - with Bob Stewart and Mike Hollis. 9:00 PM - Top 30 Futurist - with Rob Jones. 11:00 PM - Discotheque - with Benny Brown. Midnight - Spotlight On ... - with Stuart Henry. 1:00 AM - Earthlink - with Stuart and Ollie Henry.
    • Fridays: 7:00 PM - The Record Journal - with Stuart and Ollie Henry. 9:00 PM - Top 30 Disco - with Tony Prince. 11:00 PM - Top 30 Airplay (repeat) - with Bob Stewart. 1:00 AM - Earthlink - with Barry Alldis.
    • Saturdays: 7:00 PM - Street Heat; Top 30 Rockshow - with Stuart and Ollie Henry. 11:00 PM - Big L Marlboro Top 20 Country - with Bob Stewart. Midnight - Midnight Memories - with Barry Alldis. 1:00 AM - Earthlink; Love Songs - with Mike Hollis.

[edit] 1989-1992

In 1989, obviously hoping to build a new audience, Luxembourg in English once more returned with a daytime schedule for the first time since the early 1950s, but this time it was aimed at Scandinavian audiences using a 24 hours stereo transponder on the Astra satellite to supplement its still fading 208 analogue nighttime service. The end eventually came for 208 at 3 AM GMT on January 1, 1992 while the satellite service continued until midnight on December 30 of that same year. By this time the parent operating company of the English service of Radio Luxembourg had decided to concentrate on its new 24 hours English language commercial station called Atlantic 252, which had begun broadcasting in the European Long Wave Band under license from the Republic of Ireland.

[edit] DJs (A-Z)

(B): Benny Brown - Paul Burnett - (C): Dave Christian - (E): Noel Edmonds - (H): Stuart Henry - (J): David 'Kid' Jensen - Rob Jones - (M): Chris Moyles - (P): Tony Prince - (R): Emperor Rosko - (S): Bob Stewart - David Lee Stone - (W): Mark Wesley

[edit] Background information

[edit] Transmitter history

The wavelengths and frequencies used by the English service of Radio Luxembourg changed throughout the years, even though it became best known by the numbers "208".

[edit] Radio Luxembourg publications

  • Radio Pictorial (magazine) - radio publication pre-WWII that published program schedules
  • Radio Parade - radio publication after WWII that published news about Radio Luxembourg in English.
  • 208 (magazine) - radio program schedules and features after 1951 until 1959 whose name varied as it was continously merged with other publications and issued by various publishers.
  • Fab 208 (magazine) - radio program schedules and features publication during the 1960s.

[edit] References

  • Sources cited for details of Radio Luxembourg programming and presenters in English are drawn from the monthly publications known collectively as 208 magazine with name variations and different publishers from 1951 until 1958.
  • The Hal Lewis reference is cited in the 208 programme listings magazine for March, 1955, page 4.
  • The obituary of Noel Johnson who played the voice parts of Dan Dare on Radio Luxembourg and Dick Barton on the BBC.
  • 208 It was Great, a book by Alan Bailey about his career at Radio Luxembourg from 1958 to 1975.
  • Mass Media Moments in the United Kingdom, the USSR and the USA, by Gilder, Eric. - "Lucian Blaga" University of Sibiu Press, Romania. 2003 ISBN 973-651-596-6 - This work includes a study of European commercial radio from both Luxembourg and offshore.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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