Pye Reel to Reel Tape Recorders

1896 – W.G.Pye and Co. Ltd.founded by William George Pye

WW1  – Manufactures experimental thermionic valves, bringing technical knowledge to develop it’s first wireless at a factory in Chesterton for the first UK broadcasts made by the BBC in 1922

1924 –  Harold Pye, son of the founder & Edward Appleton, a former tutor at St. John’s College, design a new series of receivers

1928 – William Pye sold the company to C.O.Stanley, now renaming it Pye Radio Ltd. They established a chain of small component manufacturing factories across East Anglia.

1937 –  Pye produces a 5 inch TV priced at £22 as TV broadcasting had begun at Alexandra Palace

1939 –  2,000 TV sets sold at an average price of £34.

WW2 –  Starts manufacture of radar receivers and army radio equipment

Post WW2  – Produces radio, TV sets, R-R Recorders & communications equipment

1953 –  Pye Records founded. Best known artists they recorded- The Kinks, Petula Clark, Status Quo, Brotherhood of Man, Lonnie Donegan & The Searchers

1966 – Pye, in financial difficulties due to cheaper Far Eastern imports, sells a 60% share to Philips. In 1976, Pye completely taken over by Philips, who continued to produce TV and audio equipment using the Pye name

1980 – Name changed to PRT Records (Precision Records & Tapes)

2006 – Pye Records name returns briefly