I can understand the shock from us enthusiasts in that there was no sentimental ending of the LW transmitter.
I think to a certain extent we are a little spoilt in the UK and we do like to reminisce about the past and have current radio people within established commercial radio and BBC who are Anoraks of the industry they are in.
Hence why Caroline is still thought of fondly and will occasionally make a light hearted story regarding her, or volunteers, who will help "the cause"
But if you were to analyse forensically, the non English services of RTL, they are a first class competitive commercial network and is run that way, they serve their listeners today and remain relevant. The general public of France couldn't careless how RTL Radio is delivered, as long as the current listeners were not using that distribution channel. And the majority of their listeners probably weren't.
There are so many companies that have been laid to waste over the years, in many industries, because they have failed to adapt and keep up with the ever changing reality of modern life.
This is surely another lesson that Radio has a future, but not in the way many of us view it, especially on these forums.
Personally I find it harsh and it's a shame they have lost that human touch that the organisation had 30 years ago and the airwaves are a little more soulless for it,
Blimey, that was a rather undignified end for such an eminent service that I believe had its origins in the 1930's. I remember working in France at various times in the 1980s and hearing the 'Grandes Ondes' transmitter on the car radio of our French distributor as we drove around visiting customers.
They did the usual on-air announcements of the impending closure, but all rather functional and lacking any emotive sense of occasion (as far as I can tell with my limited French language ability)...
Some photos of the impressive Beidweiler transmitter site, plus some lovely old radios, here...
I think the answer to that was a resounding NO !
Kev
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