Woman listening to a coin-operated radio in a Parisian cafe around 1923. Radio broadcasting began in the early 1920s and became a hugely popular high-tech novelty, the "radio craze" became part of the Roaring 20s lifestyle. Radio receivers were very expensive, bulky and difficult to adjust, so public places had these coin operated timer listening stations connected to a central receiver allowing patrons to listen by earphone. Only one "channel" was available. Caption:""Now becoming a familiar sight in Parisian cafes, patrons put a nickel - cinq sous - in the box to hear radio concerts. The box and its telephone are connected with a central receiver""