Rediffusion Jersey - Brian Lucas

THE RISING TRADE

Jersey's post war years in the 1950's produced a large number of radio businesses, even though,the islands population was still relatively low; trade names of:
Bel Royal Radio Ltd, 20 Halket place; Fosters Ltd, 24 Halket Place; Cole, 61 Halket Place; Jersey Radio & Electric Service Company, 21 Charing Cross; Bisson Radio Company, 27 sand Street; Regent Radio Ltd, 47a New Street; (R.A.P. # C.I.R.E.C.) Radio Acoustic Products, Roseville House Coloumbrie; and George R. Goldsmith, of Gorey Village... note the underlining of R.A.P, their is more to this company later on.

By 1951 Rediffusion Ltd was set up, to become the major player for island wide cable broadcast services, to the public and commercial sector... their showrooms were at 1 Library Place, also in the Jersey Electricity Company showroom at 11 Broad Street.

The first known islander, to receive the all electronic EMI 405 Line television service, was Mr. E.C. Le Sueur, a radio engineer who demonstrated this event at his home, within Les Fontaines St. John around February 1951. The Jersey Evening Post pictures were taken directly from the television screen, and show a play in progress absent of noisy pictures, despite the distance from London radiating out of Alexandra Place, before Broadcasting House was converted to television.

It was quite remarkable for Jersey, to have received the 405 line transmissions, as the transmitter out-put power, was designed to cover London and the outer fringe area only. Mr. Le Sueur's television receiver was a standard commercial set, and he informed the J.E.P. saying,"Some Modifications to suit the local conditions was required: thus, an aerial amplifier would have been used, to receive consistent pictures, and good weather conditions also played its part too.

Television was of interest to the island population, but only for those who lived on the North coast; to take advantage of their position when good weather conditions enhanced the transmissions range. For the time being, radio entertainment remained the primary source for the islanders.

Trade advertisements within the J.E.P. bestowed the virtues of many brand names: Ultra, Murphy, GEC, KB, R.A.P, Sobell, McMichael and... numerous other names however, it seems their was initially Four Traders who were agents for Ultra Radios, as stated before: Bel Royal Radio, Jersey Radio & Electric Service, Regent Radio, and George R. Goldsmith. But, before agents were appointed, British manufactures like Ultra and KB # Kolster Brands, advertised in the J.E.P, giving their mainland address realising the potential for sales in Jersey, and our sister island of Guernsey.

From the above list of trade names, R.A.P. stands out as the odd one... their local history is based on renting radio sets of most unusual design; originally manufactured in England, then shipped over to Jersey in chassis sub-sections, with the cabinet to be assembled by the (C.I.R.E.C.) company, with the R.A.P. name label on the radios.

It's quite possible the reason for shipping over radios, as parts only, seems to have been a way around the British levied Purchase Tax; being single components and not a finished product, where tax could be applied. Of further local interest was how prolific Fosters and (R.A.P. # C.I.R.E.C.), advertised their products in the J.E.P. with the impression that a trade war was in progress, to win the patronage of the islanders.