[78-L] Eurovision on 78

[Kristjan Saag]

I wrote:
> The rest of Western Europe followed the North American agenda: Sweden 
> issued its last
> 78's in 1958, Germany about the same time, France as well...

Bertrand Chaumelle wrote:

France did not follow the Western Europe agenda regarding 78s. The main
plant (EMI, two thirds of the French market) stopped making them in
1956. Other (smaller) labels were a little slower.
--
But that IS the Western European agenda, apart from Britain.
Certainly all record companies didn't stop producing 78's at the same time. 
The format was phased out gradually, in Sweden and Germany as well as in 
France. Odd labels (for children's records etc) could operate well into the 
1960's, while some of the big companies, like EMI in France, stopped 
supplying the 78 format a few years before 1958.
Britain was an exception because most major labels still issued most of 
their (singles) catalogue in both formats in 1959, and many were 
comparatively late offering the 45 rpm format at all.
Then, in 1960, everything changed and by the end of the year the last 78 on 
a major label in the UK was issued.
Another example of British conservatism regarding formats was the production 
of pre-recorded reel-to-reel tapes, which didn't come to an end before 1970.
Kristjan