Lee de Forest, an early radio pioneer, broadcast phonograph records for the first-time over radio waves from the Eiffel Tower.

There were about 50 people in a live audience at the Eiffel Tower, and no ordinary people had receivers to pick up the signals.

So this “first” was more a stunt than the opening of a new service. However, it has been claimed that these signals were picked up over 500 miles away and that this represented the first “public broadcasting system.” .