Normandie Sound

As I'm trying to feature all the known players in the radio scene (late 80s - 1992), a mention is due for Normandie Sound, a former would-be FM broadcaster based in Jersey. At least they kept things legal without resorting to pirating, campaigning properly for a right to the airwaves from at least 1985 until the early 1990s. In practice this meant they must have spent most of their time pleading with Enid Quenault's Broadcasting Committee to no avail, later complaining about Radio Force 7 and Contact 94 (see States of Jersey minutes 1989-feb-28 - http://www.statesassembly.gov.je/documents/minutes/9895-35633.htm).

They once advertised for staff but never appeared on FM though the advert showed a 98.9 MHz logo.

Names involved : MD was Spencer Pryor, Programme director Peter 'Mac' MacClinton, other directors Nick Thorne and one other.

By December 1988, after months of Force 7 and Contact 94, they were fed up enough to complain.

Normandie Sound later ran a rock-based station Eclipse FM from Waterloo Street for 3 months until the end of October 1991 (presenter names Peter Mac, Carl Cameron, Neville Ord and Robbie Donnelly ring bells). This was in mono on the 19.2E Astra satellite, Sky Sports 11509v/7.56, but did not last very long as satelite broadcasting never really caught on - even though they did have a very loyal audience around Europe claimed to be around 400,000. "We will return" they claimed. They didn't. "You cannot run a radio station on selling t-shirts and donations from listeners"

According to local press Normandie Sound was declared en desastre on 14 Feb 1992 (Discharged/Settled/Recalled by 2 Nov 1992), trading as Eclipse FM, JAYS Jersey at your service, Normandie Broadcasting, Normandie Entertainments, Norsou Books, Paperback reader, from Don Chambers, Don street. They had debts of £53,551. Along the way they had been refused an RSL for the Battle of Flowers, and had been involved in an unsuccessful bid as 'CI3' for the local TV franchise. It was alleged by a subsidiary of Maxwell COMMUNICATIONS ( Robert Maxwell ) that they were owed £20,000 for satellite air time.

Some Normandie Sound directors joined Wave 101's bid for the local commercial licence in 1992, and Peter Mac later ended up as a presenter on the winning Channel 103, entertaining us in the mornings. ".. don't forget to say how damn good looking I am!" :)