PCJJ

PCJJ (later known as PCJ) was a pioneering shortwave radio station operated by Philips Laboratories of Holland, a division of Philips Electronics.

The station went on the air on 11 March 1927 broadcasting on 9930 kHz in a transmission to the Dutch East Indies with the words "Hello Dutch East Indies, this is PCJJ, the shortwave transmitter of Philips Laboratories in Eindhoven."^[1] PCJJ was soon broadcasting in English, Spanish, German and Dutch to a worldwide audience.

On 30 May and 1 June 1927, Queen Wilhelmina spoke over PCJJ to her colonial subjects in the Dutch East and West Indies.^[2]

PCJJ was likely the first shortwave radio stations in the world to provide distinct programming rather than a simulcast of domestic stations.

The multilingual Edward Startz joined PCJJ in 1928 and became its best known announcer. He created the light entertainment Happy Station show which became the world's longest running shortwave program and informally rechristened the station PCJ for Peace, Cheer and Joy.

In 1929, a sister station, PHOHI (also known as PHI) was established, using PCJJ's transmitters to broadcast in Dutch to the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) and Dutch West Indies while PCJ broadcast in English, Spanish and German to Europe and the rest of the world.^[3]

In 1933, the transmitters was relocated to Huizen with studios in nearby Hilversum.

Broadcasts from the Netherlands were interrupted by the German invasion in May 1940. PCJJ broadcast the events of the invasion for four days until Eddy Startz was arrested. The staff of PCJ tried to destroy the Huizen transmitters, but they were repaired by the Germans used for black propaganda to India under the name ”The Voice of Free India”.^[3]

PCJJ resumed broadcasting in October 1945, as a result of the liberation of Holland. The two shortwave stations were nationalised and became Radio Netherlands Worldwide, the Dutch International Service in 1947 though PCJ programs such as Happy Station continued on the new station and the PCJ call letters were kept by Radio Netherlands for several years.^[4]

References

1. ^ Broadcasting in the Malay world: radio, television, and video in Brunei By Drew O. McDaniel
2. ^ Philips Museum
3. ^ ^{a b} "50 Years Shortwave In Holland : klankbeeld 1977-04-15 / 1977-03-30", RNW
4. ^ Radio Nederland Wereldomroep International Program Service Summer Schedule, 1948

• Broadcasting on the short waves, 1945 to today By Jerome S. Berg
• 50 Years of Shortwave in Holland Radio Netherlands