October 1945: Radio Saigon Resumes Regular Broadcasts Amid Chaos

In September and October 1945, Indochina was in a state of great instability. After the Japanese coup in March, the French colonial administration had been dismantled, and following Japan’s capitulation in August, a power vacuum emerged. Taking advantage of this situation, the Viet Minh, led by Ho Chi Minh, seized control of many cities and, on September 2 in Hanoi, proclaimed the independence of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.

Under the Potsdam agreements, the country was temporarily divided: north of the 16th parallel, Chinese nationalist troops disarmed the Japanese, while in the south the British occupied the region. At the same time, France was organizing the return of its troops under General Leclerc in order to restore its colonial authority.

This period was marked by strong tensions: clashes between the Viet Minh, other nationalist movements, Japanese forces still present in the country, and the Allied troops; violence in the cities; and the gradual reestablishment of French administration, especially in Cochinchina. These events foreshadowed the inevitable confrontation between Vietnamese aspirations for independence and France’s determination to reassert its empire—leading to the First Indochina War, which would break out the following year.

A Return to the Airwaves Under British Control

It was in this troubled context that Radio Saigon returned to the airwaves on October 1, just days before the arrival of General Leclerc and the French Expeditionary Corps.

For the French colonists, the situation was urgent. In August, the Viet Minh had seized control of the radio transmitter at Bach Mai near Hanoi. On September 7, Radio Bach Mai—“The Voice of Vietnam”—went on the air to broadcast the proclamation of independence of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.

In the south, Radio Saigon remained under Japanese control until late August. In September, however, it began broadcasting on shortwave with news concerning prisoners of war freed by the British, particularly those from Australia and New Zealand. Radio Saigon therefore remained under British military control.

Radio Saigon resumed regular broadcasts under British military supervision. It aired the following schedule on wavelengths of 29.62 m and 285 m (1050 kc) (all times GMT+8):

Morning

11:30 – Records
11:48 – News in Vietnamese
12:00 – News in French
12:15 – News in English
12:30 – Records
12:45 – End of broadcast

Afternoon

15:00 – Records
18:00 – News in French
18:15 – Records
18:30 – News in English
18:45 – Records
19:00 – News in Vietnamese
19:15 – Records
20:00 – News in French
20:15 – Records
21:00 – End of broadcasts

A few days after broadcasts resumed, Radio Saigon narrowly avoided disaster. On October 15, Vietnamese nationalists set fire to buildings adjacent to the station during unrest that continued in the capital of Cochinchina.

During the autumn, variety programs in English were broadcast in the evenings for British troops.

France Regains Control of Radio Saigon

On Sunday, December 9, 1945, Radio Saigon, the voice of France in the Far East, was placed back under French authority. The station broadcast the following schedule that day:

7:30 – News in French
10:00 – Radio report, live from Saigon City Hall, covering the official visit of Admiral Thierry d’Argenlieu, High Commissioner of France for Indochina
11:00 – News bulletin
11:15 – Family messages
11:30 – Dance music
12:00 – News in French and a dispatch from Louis Vaucelle
12:15 – Local column
12:45 – Dance music
13:15 – Family messages
17:00 – News bulletin
17:15 – Popular songs
17:30 – Dance music
17:45 – La Semaine Internationale by Pierre About
18:00 – News in French and a dispatch from Louis Vaucelle
19:45 – Caravelle vous parle (for the military)
20:00 – News in French
20:15 – La Semaine Internationale by Pierre About
20:30 – Variety show

The Return of Chinese-Language Broadcasts

In February 1946, Chinese-language broadcasts resumed.

In the morning, from 11:00 to 11:15, the local press review and the day’s news were broadcast; from 11:15 to 11:30, a quarter-hour of recorded Chinese music followed.

In the afternoon, from 16:00 to 16:15, the day’s final news bulletin was aired; from 16:15 to 16:30, a quarter-hour of recorded Chinese music concluded the program.