PARIS: When the music died one gloomy morning in April, residents of Brighton, England, who had been happily listening to illegally transmitted French radio for almost 10 years, were first stunned and then angered.
There was defiant talk of anchoring a clandestine FM transmitter on a boat off the coast of Brighton to bring back France Inter Paris, or FIP, which broadcasts a quirky blend of jazz, pop and rock, Dizzy Gillespie and Jimmy Hendrix. Someone started surreptitiously putting up posters along local streets. "Missing FIP," the poster said. "Can you help?"
A wistful Web site quickly appeared online with ardent testimonials to the advertising-free station.
"It's just one of those cool stations," said David Mounfield, a loyal listener and organizer of the ongoing British rebellion who does not speak French. "There wasn't much talking except a sexy female French voice, and it wasn't some inane English DJ yammering on in Britain, where it's all done by demographics and key markets to push and sell music."
Read more of Doreen Carvajal's story at http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/06/03/business/radio04.php
(Source: RD/International Miami Tribune)