A stentor reading the day’s news to 6200 subscribers – An image depicting the stentor of Telefon Hirmondó. Source: Wikimedia Commons

This post is off topic from my typical posts about wireless technology. Nonetheless, I’m a sucker for documentaries regarding the history of technology.

BBC Radio 3 recently had a Sunday documentary about the “Pleasure Telephone”–a Victorian era technology that used telephone almost like we use radio today. As someone interested in broadcasting and technology, I found the story fascinating.

BBC no longer has the documentary available to stream from their site.

However, Clark Boyd, of PRI’s The World Technology Podcast, picked up the story and published the bulk of it at the end of his July 14th show. You can find it here.

It’s worth a listen–in fact, the PRI World Technology Podcast series in general is worth a subscription. I never miss an episode.

For more information on the pleasure telephone, check out this article in Early Radio History, or its Wikipedia entry.