Idzerda, the first radio broadcaster

The man behind this feat was a radio engineer Hans Henricus Schotanus à Steringa Idzerda (1885-1944), who hosted the historical three hour broadcast (from eight to eleven o'clock) from an improvised studio at his home at the Beukstraat in The Hague. He used a radio telephone transmitter he himself had designed and built, which became known as PCGG, named after the call sign on its broadcasting license. 

Among the selected few, who were present at this 'world first', was the reporter - and famous Dutch novelist to be - Herman de Man, who looked back on the momentous occasion years later in a letter to Idzerda’s widow: "I belonged to the group of five, which was united in the Beuk Straat and observed: (...) And how carefree and happy we were back in 1919. I, young journalist, wildly happy with my scoop, your husband deeply moved and shaky from emotion. I felt that wonderful moment, that I was witnessing a historic moment (...).

Hans Henricus Schotanus à Steringa Idzerda was born in 1885 into a family of medical doctors in Weidum, Friesland. He is a bold, but kind and passionate Frisian, and in order to follow his passion for engineering and radio, he breaks with the family tradition. He is a true craftsman and a brilliant engineer who lives for his experiments and foresees the possibilities of the medium called radio before anyone else in Europe. In 1919 he succeeds and puts wireless radio and radio broadcasting on the map in the Netherlands and abroad. 

In a contract Idzerda and Philips record that Idzerda has the exclusive right to sell the lamp to consumers and amateurs.The first three letters of Idzerda’s name (pronounced phonetically) take pride of place on the valve. This turns out to be succesful marketing trick by Philips to boost sales, as Idzerda’s name is very well known among radio amateurs. The sales of the IDEEZET stay well ahead of its competitors: the company Pope Venlo and its pioneer Leonard Bal, who brought their own radio lamp on the market.

After the Jaarbeurs experiments, Idzerda becomes bolder: he obtains a permit for experimental broadcasts limited to designated military radio stations. When he starts his broadcasts for the public on November 6, 1919 he actually stretches the limits of this license enormously. From that moment on Idzerda is on the air twice a week broadcasting his musical program.

In 1921 Idzerda starts with a series of special concerts that will make him famous across national borders: the Kurhaus Concerts. Broadcasted from the venue with the same name in Scheveningen. The English 'Wireless Magazine' collects money from fans in the UK and Idzerda receives letters of support, special requests, records and even cake from his fans. His international success grows even further when English Newspaper 'The Daily Mail' sponsors Idzerda to make special English broadcasts for UK listeners.

Unfortunately the acclaim doesn't translate into financial gains for Idzerda. He pays for every broadcast and the program announcements from his own pockets. Even with UK support it drains his finances and he starts to ask the public - both in the Netherlands and in the UK - for contributions. Not everyone appreciates this move.

The NSF follows the path paved by Idzerda: they build a station, announce their programs in advance and broadcast at a fixed time. The first NSF program airs on July 21, 1923. The start of a national broadcasting station in Hilversum is a fact. Other broadcasters will follow soon. Idzerda’s role as pioneer is over. He continues in the margins: he makes a new start under the name N.V. Radio-Idzerda. He receives a broadcasting license in 1926, with use of the old call letters PCGG, but he is no longer allowed to announce his programs in advance. Between 1930-1931 Idzerda broadcasts under the call letters PF1IDZ. He airs a ‘congratulations’ program for his public of "night owls" on Saturday night at a wavelength of 298 m.

Idzerda was ever mindful about his place in history and his legacy. In 1940 he himself donated a large part of his belongings to the Postmuseum, one of the predecessors of the Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision. This was the start of the current Idzerda collection, containing books, documents, photo's, technical objects and radios Idzerda produced in his factory that was named Wireless and renamed N.V. Netherlands Radio Industry and later Radio-Idzerda.