La Police de l'Air: Amateur Radio and the Politics of Aural Surveillance in France, 1921–1940.

French radio broadcasting; Radio broadcasting & politics; Radio broadcasting -- Social aspects; Radio broadcasting & war; Radio broadcasting policy; Radio in propaganda; Freedom of speech; Radio broadcasters; French politics & government, 1914-1940

The article discusses the social and political impact of interwar radio in France during the mid-20th century. It describes the French Interior Ministry efforts to monitor domestic and international radio broadcasts through the Police de l'Air, the influence of amateur and independent radio broadcasters on the French public and government communications policy, and the use of radio broadcasts to publicize dissent. Other subjects under discussion include the Parisian journalist Paul Campargue, programs associated with government surveillance, and the tension between government policy and free speech laws.