1922

First Swiss radio station: Le Champ de l’Air

Originally put into operation for aeronautical radio for the Lausanne – Paris line, this radio station broadcasted the first radio program in Switzerland on October 14, 1922 – of course a live concert.

Year

1922

Manufacturer

Société Indépendante de Téléphonie sans Fil

Location

Champ-de-l'Air, Lausanne

Beginning of the radio age

After France, Great Britain, and Germany, where regular radio broadcasts had been sent since early summer 1922, Switzerland joined as the fourth country with the Champ-de-l’Air to the European broadcasting nations.

The first radio broadcast in Switzerland

During the inauguration ceremony in October 1922, the guests were surprised with live music. This was actually a pirate broadcast, as the transmitter was only allowed to transmit weather information to aircraft.

The radio pioneer Roland Pièce

Roland Pièce (1897 – 1972) led the construction of the transmitter on the Champ-de-l’Air as a young electrical engineering student in 1921/22. Later, Pièce took over as chief technician at the Western Swiss national broadcaster Sottens, which was established in 1931.