Radio transmission in Paris began in 1921, and today there are many AM and FM radio stations available to listeners in Paris and the Île-de-France region. History The first radio broadcast in Paris aimed at the general public took place on 24 December 1921. The next year, the French government allowed the establishment of the first private radio station in Paris: Radiola. After the Second World War, Parisian radio was nationalized, and it was not until 1981, following the election of François Mitterrand that private companies were able easily to broadcast in the Paris area. Mitterrand was attempting to permit the growth of radio stations through privatization and fewer regulations, following the Italian example (in 1977, the Italian government permitted the establishment of private stations, leading to a boom in the number of stations). In the early 1980s, there were more than 200 radio stations in Paris. These stations often overlapped, broadcast only sporadically and often low-quality content. This chaotic situation came to an end after the establishment of several regulatory agencies — first the Haute Autorité, then the CNCL, and finally the Conseil Supérieur de l'Audiovisuel which granted licences to operate on specific frequencies to certain companies. The first radio stations in Paris (chronological) Radio Tour Eiffel (general interest; state radio) 24 December 1921-June 1940. At the start, it broadcast only for a half-hour a day: a weather forecast, a review of the press and music. The first news broadcast took place on it 3 November 1925. Radiola (general interest; private) 6 November 1922 to 28 March 1924. Radiola's first trials took place on 26 June 1922 and its first regular broadcasts began on 6 November 1922. Marcel Laporte provided the most-frequently-heard voice for the station. Its first news broadcasts took place on 6 January 1923. It became Radio Paris on 29 March 1924 (general interest ; private, then state-run on 17 December 1933) 29 March 1924–17 June 1940. It kept its name of Radio Paris from July 1940 until August 1944, but the station was then run by Nazis and French collaborators. Radio PTT (general interest; state-run) 20 January 1923 until June 1940. Poste Parisien (general interest; private) from 30 March 1924 to June 1940. Radio LL (general interest; private) from March 1926 until 28 September 1935. It became Radio Cité (general interest; private) from 29 September 1935 until June 1940. Radio Vitus (general interest; private) from 1