Telefunken
|
|
Telefunken is a German radio- and television company, founded in 1903. Originally it was a joint venture of AEG and Siemens AG, until Siemens left in 1941. In 1911 Kaiser Wilhelm sent Telefunken engineers to West Sayville, Long Island, New York to erect three 600-foot radio towers there. A similar station was erected in Nauen, creating the only wireless communication between North America and Europe. In 1967 it was merged with AEG, which was then renamed to AEG-Telefunken. When AEG was bought by Daimler in 1985 the addition "Telefunken" was dropped. The brand name "Telefunken" is still marketed by DaimlerChrysler.
Walter Bruch developed the PAL color television system at Telefunken, which is used by most countries outside the Americas today.
Music
Frank Zappa refers to the Telefunken U47 microphone (http://www.telefunkenusa.com/products/show_product.php?item=7&cat=mics) at the end of the song "Crew Slut" on his album Joe's Garage. "It looks just like a Telefunken U47." He apparently owned and used a significant collection of vintage German microphones.