Radio Jura frequency

RFJ , Radio Frequency the Jura is a Swiss regional radio private of lange French emitting in the Canton of the Jura, with La Chaux-de-Fonds and part of the the Bernese Jura. Its studios are based with Delémont.

History

February 18th 1984 with 11:30 François Lachat, then president of the Jurassic government opens the potentiometer, Fréquence the Jura was born. It is a true adventure which starts under the impulse of the pioneers, Pierre Steulet, president of what is then a co-operative and Jean-Claude Rennwald, the first editor association. The station covers Ajoie and the valley of Delémont, the Frank-Mountains will be covered in April. The radio then emits 18 hours of programmes daily of 6:00 at midnight with 6 hours of clean programs, the remainder being taken again RSR. Side programming, upon the departure, regional information occupies a choice place. But the arrival of Jura Frequency does not go without some squeakings of teeth, the radio perhaps collected in certain districts of Moutier what is not taste of the Sanglier group and certain Bernese elected officials who ask the Federal council to intervene. This one will not do anything of it, asserting that “the waves cannot stop at the cantonal borders”.

The station meets a great success very quickly. In the surveys in 1985, it finds French local radios largely at the head. Fréquence the Jura is all the same in prey with some difficulties of diffusion but also financial, the first year the local radio closes her assessment with a loss of 150 ' 000 francs. Publicity, independent source of incomes, cannot exceed 15 minutes per day. A subscription with 20 francs is thus launched in April 1985. The countryside meets an unexpected success, more than 7000 Jurassic agree to support their radio.

In 1986 the success of Jura Frequency is confirmed, as a survey raises it of the SR, the Jurassic radio is essential from the start like the principal station in its zone of diffusion. The total rate of listening reaches 68% then. The programs grow rich, a new grid is installation on September 1st, 1986. A morning emission from 9 to 11 a.m. replaces from now on the resumption of Couleur 3. Emission house also as from 5 p.m.

Change also on the legal level, the co-operators of the “Radio operator Jura 2000” accept the creation of SA, the objective being to lead fresh money to cleanse the financial position of the radio. A public subscription is launched. The goal being to collect 350 ' 000 francs. An objective which will be achieved one month later. The assembly decides to exclude a participation from the local newspapers to guarantee a diversity of the press in the Jura.

In 1987, Jean-Claude Rennwald, the first editor association of the station snap the door following its ousting of the board of directors and nomination of a chief of antenna. At the beginning of October, the journalists fearing for their autonomy deposit a strike notice. One will not arrive however at this end, a draft-agreement will be found. With the end of the year, a new editor association is named in the person of Philippe Zahno Fréquence the Jura also requires in 1987 the widening of its zone of diffusion on Moutier (thing which it will obtain only in 1995).

August 29th, 1988, Fréquence the Jura inaugurates a new grid of the programs, new emissions magazines and reinforced presence the morning with news bulletins each half hours. The station remains at the head of all the surveys in term of penetration in its zone of diffusion. The general audience reaches 79%, a record then.

In 1989, Fréquence the Jura celebrates its 5 years, the hour to draw a first assessment from these first years of existence. Like the other local radios of French-speaking Switzerland, she confronted with financial problems, since her beginning she did not know the black figures yet. She however needs financial means additional to make investments again: renewal of the material, wage increase but also formation. The radio sees its request for extension of its zone of diffusion on Moutier refused by the Federal council on February 22nd, 1989. This disappointment is added to the refusal of the payment by the inhabitants of Moutier of their contribution with RJB Radio new Horizon the local radio of Tavannes largely subsidized by the canton of Bern.

In 1990, increased Jura Frequency. After 8 months of work, the buildings of the street of June 23rd with Delémont are completely renovated. New offices, a control, a discotheque are installed on two additional stages. 450 ' 000 francs are invested in these installations. An enlarging become necessary, Fréquence the Jura then counts about fifty collaborators including 23 full-time. Another outstanding change for the journalists: the passage of the typewriter with the word processing on computer. Send by Telex telegraphic Agency Suisse arrive from now on directly on their screen. The financial position of Jura Frequency improves, the general meeting ratifies accounts which, for the first time, buckle on a benefit. Reasons for fachery however in this year 1990, the relations between the radio and the authorities cantonal are not with the good shape. These last refused the installation of billboards at the entries of the canton. The Government remains also passive about the extension of Jura Frequency to Moutier. In addition, he is opposed to the diffusion job offers of the canton on the waves. The persons in charge of Jura Frequency regret not being treated on the same equal footing as the daily press. Prohibited initially, this sector of advertisements was finally opened with the private radios.

The year 1991 is remembered by the publication of the federal law on the radio and television, the Parliament accepts it on June 21st. After the Ordinance on the tests as regards local broadcasting. This text fixes finally the legal framework of the electronic media in Switzerland. New chapter in the combat which Fréquence the Jura carries out to sprinkle Moutier. In answer to a federal consultation on the local radios, the Bernese Government opposes the transmitter installation of firmly with Moutier. The case will be regulated definitively only three years later with the new directives as regards zones of diffusion. Satisfaction at the time of the general meeting of the shareholders, for the second consecutive year, the accounts release a benefit what makes it possible to somewhat reduce the loss registered to the assessment.

Fréquence the Jura is detached definitively from Color 3 in 1992 and announces the launching of a new musical program, an emission which is done without any human intervention thanks to a new computing system. The new emission is programmed each evening 20 hours at 1 o'clock in the morning to replace the diffusion of Color 3 which did not achieve any more the unanimity. Five Juke-boxes of a full capacity of 300 CD make it possible to manage 10 ' 000 music titles. In parallel, a touchscreen makes it possible the organizer to control the whole of the means of diffusion: tape recorders with bands, platinums, etc For the time, it is a system with the point of progress, the first of the type to being installed in French-speaking Switzerland. It marks first time towards the automation and the computerization of the means of diffusion. This same year, the RSR expresses wishes it to change its contract with the local radios who take again her program. Indeed, the public service denounces the sum symbolic system of 500 francs per year which pay the local diffusers and requires of new conditions. Those are considered to be unacceptable by the local radios since they must from now on take again at least 8 hours of program per day between 6:00 and 20:00 with at least of the one hour old blocks, which accounts for approximately 65% of the time of antenna. The problem does not arise only for the Jurassic radio but for all the radios in Switzerland which take again the programs of SR partly. With such restrictions, the private stations cannot respect their engagements with respect to their area any more. This new provision is regarded as a loss of identity and an assimilation by the public service of the local radios. Dominique Bugnon becomes the new editor association of Frequency the Jura, he succeeds Philippe Zahno.

In 1993, Fréquence the Jura approaches the cantonal radio neuchâteloise RTN 2001, Pierre Steulet becomes about it the chairman of the board. In spite of this bringing together, Pierre Steulet makes a point of preserving the identity of the two stations. A better collaboration, an exchange of know-how must make it possible the two radios to progress. It is absolutely not question of fusion of the stations. On the one hand, the Law on the radio and television do not allow it, on the other hand, each radio covering a quite distinct area (the Jura for Fréquence the Jura and Neuchâtel for RTN 2001), a fusion would lead to a total loss of identity of these radios.

Fréquence the Jura gives up, this same year, to take again the programs of the RSR within sight of the new conditions. The station will diffuse as from 1994 a program house 24:00 on 24. Always in 1993, Pierre Steulet carries out the combat so that Fréquence the Jura is heard in the tunnels as well as the RSR. Indeed, the public service profits from certain advantages that the local radios do not have, which the president of Fréquence the Jura cannot accept. At the time of the general meeting of the shareholders, Fréquence the Jura re-examines its statutes within the meaning of the new law on the public limit companies, the provision prohibiting the editors of newspapers to take part in its capital actions is removed, the acti0onnaires also learn a good news: part of the royalty will be versed with the radio local this quota will appear for the first time at the accounts 1993.

February 18th, 1994, a date hinge, Fréquence the Jura celebrates its 10 years and cut definitively the bridges with SR. For 10 years, Fréquence the Jura had begun again for a price symbolic system of 500 francs per year ten hours of programs of the Radio French-speaking Switzerland, primarily the news bulletins of 06:00, 12:30 and 18:00. The French Radio renegotiated the contracts with the local radios by appreciably increasing the cost of the recovery (80 ' 000 francs per year for Fréquence the Jura) but especially by imposing 5 hours of recovery per day and in particular the most important news bulletins. Fearing to lose its identity, the Jurassic radio thus decides to diffuse its program 24:00 on 24, without any resumption of the emissions of the French Radio. This change requires a recasting of the programs. Flashes infos are introduced the afternoon, the evening paper is advanced 18:30 at 6 p.m. The radio also obtains a new preparing of antenna. The development of information each hour requires the reinforcement of the editorial team. Fréquence the Jura also develops national information thanks to the creation from an office in Bern in collaboration with 3 other local radios (Radio Lake, Radio Chablais and RTN). The bet is gaining since for the year 1994, Fréquence the Jura reaches 84% of general audience.

In 1995, the continuation of the long procedure so that Fréquence the Jura can emit on Moutier. The new law on radio television authorizes the Jurassic station implicitly to emit in this zone city. Directives in this direction were enacted in 1994 but it is not so simple, Ofcom imagined a complicated solution: it is up to the postal and telecommunications authorities to plan the networks of the transmitters and the procedure trails. Dominique Bugnon announces that it leaves its functions of editor association, it will reinforce the team of the regional radios to the federal palate. Serge Jubin is named to succeed to him. The accounts of year 1995 are buckled by a benefit of 5000 francs. The deferred loss is brought back to 73 ' 000 francs. The advertizing re-entries come very close to million and half, the product of the subscriptions is on the other hand in regression. No subsidy with operation never came to relieve the budget of Jura Frequency, the canton of the Jura all the same contributed to support certain investments in particular the transmitters and of the ready LIM one reduced the load in interests.

Summer 1996, the war of the waves is déclanchée, the Swiss local radios react after the decision of Radio Nostalgia to emit without authorization in the area lausannoise. Supported by the Germanic regional radios and SR, they write to the Federal council. The resumption of Radio operator Acidul' by Nostalgie indeed threatens the existence even of the local radios and constitutes a violation of the Swiss law which prohibits the constitution of networks.

In 1997, Pierre Steulet is selected in the resumption of RJB, Radio the Jura Bernois and thus saves the station of the shipwreck as it had already done with RTN. It is thus the Jurassic solution which was adopted and not that of the Gassmann company of the Newspaper of the Jura, possible synergies between the three radios having been decisive in this choice. Indeed, for Pierre Steulet it is necessary to lead a reflection to the scale of the Jurassic arc to make it possible the radios to survive and especially to weigh vis-a-vis competition increasingly stronger French radios. As of the beginning, the owner of RFJ will want to be reassuring by affirming not to have any political label and that no massive revolution will take place with RJB. The reactions are however sharp and some deputies ask even for the suppression of the subsidy that the communes grant to the station. Indeed, the resumption of the chain by Jurassic of north was highly criticized and sometimes misunderstood. However the solution will be finally accepted in May before the executive council.

This same year, Fréquence the Jura joins again with the RSR in optics to be defended against the arrival of the foreign networks and the revision of the law on the radio and television. Competition therefore is not eliminated. One speaks above all about defense about shared interests and complementarity.

The year 1998 marks the coming into effect of the Ordinance on the radio and television in Switzerland. This one regulates in particular all that also touches with the concessions for the diffusion of programs and definite the duration and the contents of publicity. Jura continuous frequency with surfer on the vagueness of success, the general audience reaches 83%. With the end of the year 1998, editor association Serge Jubin withdraws himself, it will be replaced by Jean-Yves Gentil. Fréquence the Jura gains this same year its combat to be diffused in the highway tunnels of the canton. It is the concretization of a requirement of long time, Fréquence the Jura has indeed to fight to obtain satisfaction, the radio regional were judicious to deal with the totality of the investment is more than 220 ' 000 francs whereas the technical infrastructure is gracefully offered to SR by the National office of the roads, the postal and telecommunications authorities and the cantons.

One year later, in 1999, the station changes name and becomes RFJ. It also obtains an Internet site. This year 1999 is also a key moment at the technological level, it is, indeed, the passage to numerical and the abandonment of the magnetic band with the introduction of the system Dalet. The entirety of the contents diffused by the station (music, publicity, information) as a preliminary are digitized and stored on waiters. The diffusion from now on is completely automated. This evolution allows a considerable time-saver during the production of contents. The assembly which was done before while cutting and sticking pieces of magnetic band makes from now on entirely with the mouse and the keyboard. The software chosen by RFJ makes it possible to control the whole of the tasks of the antenna. Assembly of the subjects to the diffusion.

Whereas everyone feared the bug year 2000, the stations of the Jurassic arc are touched in this year by another event which bears the name of Lothar. The hurricane caused some damage on the installations of diffusion. It is as into 2000 as the Federal council presents his project of revision of the law on the radio and television.

In 2001, the three radios profit from now on from a common director of antenna. The general meeting gives a progress report on the past year, 2001 appears among most difficult for the Swiss media, RFJ manages however to limit the damage even if national publicity is in freefall (- 48%). The radio succeeds in nevertheless balancing its accounts.

The last years mark a reinforcement increasingly more constant collaborations between the 3 radios of Jurassic Arc RFJ, RJB and RTN. Part of the direction is from now on common: the director, the direction of antenna works in a uniform way for the 3 radios. The various sectors of the radios work from now on in a narrow way.

External bond

Official site

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