January 1946 : A Decisive Turning Point for Radio in Postwar Algeria

At the beginning of 1946, a major change took place on the airwaves in Algeria. Since January 1, Algerian broadcasting had been officially integrated into the French metropolitan network. For listeners, this decision was almost invisible, as only the name changed, from Radio-Alger to Radio Algérie. For radio professionals, however, it marked the end of a long period of uncertainty, administrative improvisation, and projects interrupted by the war. For Algerian radio, it was truly the moment to enter the postwar era.

Behind this reform lay a clear ambition: to equip Algeria with a powerful, modern network capable of reaching both European and Muslim populations (according to the terminology of the time), and of making Algeria’s voice heard far beyond its borders.

A radio long buffeted by history

To understand the importance of 1946, one must recall the path taken since 1939. That year, with the decree-law of July 29, France reformed its broadcasting system, granting it autonomy and breaking away from the control of the postal and telecommunications administration (PTT). Immediately, the question of Algerian radio’s status arose: should the existing system be maintained, a local administration created, or Algeria attached to the metropolitan network?

The war prevented any lasting solution. Regulations followed one another without ever leading to a stable organization. In 1940, North African networks came under the direct authority of the French administration and thus of the national broadcasting service in Vichy. In 1942, a regional radio directorate was created in Algeria following a mission by the Vichy official Pierre Héricourt, but circumstances prevented any concrete results.

After the Allied landings in North Africa, Algerian radio continued to operate under PTT control, even as it was entrusted with national and international responsibilities. Priority was given to Radio France, the station of wartime France, while a secondary network broadcast Radio Alger.

In the urgency of the moment, solutions were improvised. Broadcasts aimed at Muslim populations fell under the authority of the Governor General, while the French Civil and Military High Command under General Giraud handled European programming and technical operations. By ordinance of February 23, 1943, it created the Office of Radio France, an autonomous body responsible for all broadcasting in French Africa.

This structure partially shifted Algerian radio from a regional to a national framework, but it remained fragile, suited to wartime rather than peacetime.

After the victory, the situation was clear: installations lacked a defined status, staff operated in uncertainty, expenses were split between Paris and Algiers, and the Governor General had no authority over French-language spoken broadcasts. In short, a complex administrative situation. The Provisional Government of the French Republic needed to decide.

A new, finally clear organization

The ordinance of November 2, 1945 provided the long-awaited clarification. It merged the metropolitan and Algerian networks and came into effect on January 1, 1946. Algerian radio became a full region of French broadcasting and took the name Radio Algérie.

In practical terms, this meant the dissolution of the Office of Radio France, the transfer of installations to French broadcasting (which compensated the PTT), the integration of staff into the metropolitan framework, and the assumption of all expenses by the broadcasting budget. In return, this budget received a subsidy corresponding to the revenue from the Algerian tax on radio receivers.

However, Algeria did not lose all autonomy. The Governor General retained essential powers: approving French-language spoken programs, using installations at any time to address the population, maintaining control over the tax base and collection, approving the appointment of the regional director, and participating in personnel management. He also determined the direction and scheduling of Muslim broadcasts, oversaw recruitment, and proposed Algerian representatives to international broadcasting bodies.

A network struggling to cover the country

In 1946, Radio Algérie remained technically limited. The network clearly favored coastal regions. With the exception of Constantine (150 W), transmitters were located in Algiers, Oran (1 kW), and Bône (now Annaba) (200 W). Their power was generally low, except for the Eucalyptus transmitter near Algiers, which reached 12 kW and primarily radiated along a north–south axis.

This limited power severely restricted coverage. Vast rural regions, where radio would have been most useful in breaking isolation, remained underserved.

Another imbalance was widely felt: European programs benefited from the most powerful transmitters, to the detriment of Muslim broadcasts. To address this, a 20 kW medium-wave transmitter was scheduled to be installed in Algiers in autumn 1946, enabling the creation of two channels: one in French, the other in Arabic and Kabyle. In the meantime, Muslim broadcasts were aired at set times via the Eucalyptus transmitter. This transmitter eventually came into service on March 2, 1947, allowing the creation of Channel A (French) and Channel B (Arabic and Kabyle).

Shortwave to cover the territory and beyond

In the field of shortwave, prospects were more promising. Shortwave allowed more efficient and cost-effective coverage of Algeria’s vast territory. A single 10 kW transmitter, owned by the PTT and rented to the radio service, relayed Radio Algérie.

French broadcasting decided to send three new transmitters to Eucalyptus: one of 10 kW and two of 25 kW. The first was to enter service quickly, with antennas directed toward Paris and Brazzaville. The other two, expected in early 1947, would serve overseas territories and relay programs from Algiers and Paris.

Studios too small for large ambitions

Algerian radio’s ambitions also ran up against a practical constraint: lack of space. The former Radio-Alger studios on rue Berthezène quickly proved insufficient once two simultaneous programs were required. Radio France moved to rue Hoche, where three studios were operating by early 1946.

Even so, working conditions remained difficult. Additional facilities on rue Charras and rue Berthezène only dispersed services, complicating daily operations. Plans emerged for a “Maison de la Radio” in Algiers. This single building would house all services, modern studios, and a public performance hall, but the housing crisis and construction delays hindered the project from the outset.

Informing differently, speaking more broadly

Algerian radio was criticized for giving too much space to news bulletins and commentary. In the postwar period, modernization was needed. Efforts were made to reduce the number of full news editions and prioritize brief updates. Plans also included French-language programs on Muslim Algerian culture.

Reporters were to travel throughout Algeria to present its history, folklore, industries, and social and economic realities. Their reports would be broadcast both in Algeria and on metropolitan stations. Each week, Radio Algérie would also send a program to Paris focusing on a current Algerian issue.

Reviving artistic programming

Algerian artistic broadcasts had long suffered from a poor reputation, largely due to limited resources and a sense of inferiority compared to Paris. A new programming plan sought to address this.

Three principles guided the reform: prioritize live broadcasts, structure evenings around a central program, and offer a major monthly event featuring orchestras, choirs, and actors. Variety in programming aimed to ensure that every listener could find something of interest at least once a week.

To compensate for limited local resources in music hall and popular song, French broadcasting would send weekly programs prepared in Paris specifically for Radio Algérie. Agreements were also underway to bring major artistic figures to Algerian airwaves. Additionally, the radio aimed to decentralize by organizing public events and broadcasts from Oran, Tlemcen, Constantine, and Bône.

The major challenge: getting people to listen

What is the point of ambitious networks and programs if no one listens? In 1946, Algeria had about 114,000 registered radio sets, of which barely 10,000 belonged to the Muslim population. Even accounting for unregistered sets, the imbalance was striking: around 100 sets per 1,000 Europeans, compared to only 1.5 per 1,000 Muslims.

Efforts therefore focused on increasing access among Muslim populations, including facilitated sales, loan programs, and adapted policies to integrate radio into daily life.

A radio at the heart of postwar challenges

These ambitions came at a cost. The Algerian radio budget, which reached 40 million in 1945, was expected to rise to around 90 million, excluding initial infrastructure investments. The budget for Muslim broadcasts alone increased from 6 to 15 million, representing nearly half of the revenue from the receiver tax.

By 1946, Algerian radio was no longer just a technical tool. It had become a major political, cultural, and social instrument. By integrating into the metropolitan network, it sought to fully develop, ease tensions, promote French culture in Algeria and the Muslim world, and maintain the international influence it had paradoxically gained during the war.