{"id":18852,"date":"2016-05-18T20:00:57","date_gmt":"2016-05-19T00:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=18852"},"modified":"2016-05-18T08:21:51","modified_gmt":"2016-05-18T12:21:51","slug":"from-the-bbc-archives-the-first-21-years-of-the-world-service","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2016\/05\/from-the-bbc-archives-the-first-21-years-of-the-world-service\/","title":{"rendered":"From the BBC Archives: The first 21 years of the World Service"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"http:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/BBC-AT-WAR.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-13665\" src=\"http:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/BBC-AT-WAR.jpg\" alt=\"BBC-AT-WAR\" width=\"650\" height=\"363\" srcset=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/BBC-AT-WAR.jpg 650w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/BBC-AT-WAR-300x168.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Many thanks to <em>SWLing Post<\/em> contributor,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/aborgnino\/status\/732223191679176705\" target=\"_blank\">Andrea Borgnino<\/a>, who shares a link to the excellent archived radio documentary,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/programmes\/p033xfnr\" target=\"_blank\"><em>The first 21 years of the World Service<\/em><\/a>, via the\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/programmes\/p033xfnr\" target=\"_blank\">BBC World Service<\/a>&#8216;s\u00a0online audio archives.<\/p>\n<p>The recording\/broadcast dates from\u00a0December, 18 1953.\u00a0Here&#8217;s the description of the recording:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>The first 21 years of the World Service: how it began in 1938, its important role in WW2 and its aftermath, including historic moments as they were first broadcast by Churchill, de Gaulle, Eisenhower.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/programmes\/p033xfnr\" target=\"_blank\">Click here to listen to the documentary via the BBC World Service.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h1 style=\"text-align: left;\">VOG Interval Signal<\/h1>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">I learned an interesting fact in <a href=\"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/programmes\/p033xfnr\">this documentary<\/a>:\u00a0I had <em>no idea<\/em> that the BBC used the Greek radio\u00a0interval signal for their Greek language service while Greece was occupied in WWII. After liberation, the BBC Director General &#8220;solemnly&#8221; handed the famous interval signal&#8211;<em>&#8220;the sound of shepherds&#8217; pipes mingling with the bells of their flocks&#8221;&#8211;<\/em>back to Greece. Amazing.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">The Greek radio\u00a0interval signal is one of my all-time favorites. Indeed, my mobile phone&#8217;s ringtone is the <a href=\"http:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/ringtones\/VOG-Ringtone.mp3\" target=\"_blank\">VOG interval signal<\/a>:<\/p>\n<audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-18852-1\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"http:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/ringtones\/VOG-Ringtone.mp3?_=1\" \/><a href=\"http:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/ringtones\/VOG-Ringtone.mp3\">http:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/ringtones\/VOG-Ringtone.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n<p>If you would like to add this ringtone to your mobile phone, <a href=\"http:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2013\/12\/a-little-gift-for-you-that-keeps-on-ringing\/\">check out this post from 2013<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor,\u00a0Andrea Borgnino, who shares a link to the excellent archived radio documentary,\u00a0The first 21 years of the World Service, via the\u00a0BBC World Service&#8216;s\u00a0online audio archives. The recording\/broadcast dates from\u00a0December, 18 1953.\u00a0Here&#8217;s the description of the recording: The first 21 years of the World Service: how it began in 1938, its [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[56,3,305,288,43],"tags":[104,1360,327,1816,2937,4508,676],"class_list":["post-18852","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-broadcasters","category-news","category-nostalgia","category-radio-history","category-shortwave-radio","tag-bbc","tag-bbc-history","tag-bbc-world-service","tag-bbc-world-service-shortwave","tag-bbc-wwii","tag-wwi-radio","tag-wwii"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-4U4","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3713,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2012\/06\/recording-radio-history-the-queens-diamond-jubilee-via-bbc-world-service\/","url_meta":{"origin":18852,"position":0},"title":"Recording Radio History: The Queen&#8217;s Diamond Jubilee via BBC World Service","author":"Thomas","date":"June 5, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Ten years ago, my wife--then fianc\u00e9e--and I lived in the UK, and were fortunate enough to attend The Queen's Golden Jubilee celebration on the vast lawn at Buckingham Palace. It was without doubt the largest party I've ever attended, packed to the gills with the British public--a thoroughly amazing event,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Art&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Art","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/art-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/06\/BuckinghamPalace-DiamondJubilee-300x168.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":17122,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2016\/01\/from-the-shortwave-archives-bbc-world-service-report-on-the-space-shuttle-challenger-disaster\/","url_meta":{"origin":18852,"position":1},"title":"From the Shortwave Archives: BBC World Service report on the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster","author":"Thomas","date":"January 28, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Tom Laskowski, who submits the following notes with his timely off-air recording of the BBC World Service from January 28, 1986: Thirty years ago today the US Space program came crashing down with the explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger. I was a student at\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"STS-51-L crew: (front row) Michael J. Smith, Dick Scobee, Ronald McNair; (back row) Ellison Onizuka, Christa McAuliffe, Gregory Jarvis, Judith Resnik.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Challenger_flight_51-l_crew-1024x819.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Challenger_flight_51-l_crew-1024x819.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Challenger_flight_51-l_crew-1024x819.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":39449,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2019\/09\/bbcs-secret-world-war-two-activities-revealed\/","url_meta":{"origin":18852,"position":2},"title":"&#8220;BBC&#8217;s secret World War Two activities revealed&#8221;","author":"Thomas","date":"September 4, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributors Fred Waterer and Mike Hansgen who share the following article from the BBC: A new archive has revealed the BBC's role in secret activities during World War Two, including sending coded messages to European resistance groups. Documents and interviews, released by BBC History, include\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/BBC-AT-WAR.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/BBC-AT-WAR.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/BBC-AT-WAR.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":66022,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2026\/05\/carlos-illustrated-radio-listening-report-and-recording-of-the-bbc-emergency-radio-service-may-4-2026\/","url_meta":{"origin":18852,"position":3},"title":"Carlos\u2019 Illustrated Radio Listening Report and Recording of the BBC Emergency Radio Service (May 4, 2026)","author":"Thomas","date":"May 6, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to\u00a0SWLing Post\u00a0contributor and noted political cartoonist,\u00a0Carlos Latuff, who shares the following\u00a0illustrated radio listening report of a recent BBC ERS broadcast. Carlos notes: BBC Emergency Radio Service https:\/\/youtu.be\/yu5E6PaiTUk?si=_l7XpxsmfnhCedRY Click here to view on YouTube.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Art&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Art","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/art-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/04may2026-Latuff-BBC-1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/04may2026-Latuff-BBC-1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/04may2026-Latuff-BBC-1.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/04may2026-Latuff-BBC-1.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/04may2026-Latuff-BBC-1.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":66026,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2026\/05\/carlos-illustrated-radio-listening-report-and-recording-of-the-bbc-emergency-radio-service-may-5-2026\/","url_meta":{"origin":18852,"position":4},"title":"Carlos\u2019 Illustrated Radio Listening Report and Recording of the BBC Emergency Radio Service (May 5, 2026)","author":"Thomas","date":"May 7, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to\u00a0SWLing Post\u00a0contributor and noted political cartoonist,\u00a0Carlos Latuff, who shares the following\u00a0illustrated radio listening report of a recent BBC Emergency Radio Service broadcast. Carlos notes: BBC Emergency Radio Service https:\/\/youtube.com\/shorts\/LggM7mvnTRg?si=5CgY_WhCMF1KYrJn Click here to view on YouTube.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Art&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Art","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/art-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Latuff-BBC-ERS-May-6-2026-1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Latuff-BBC-ERS-May-6-2026-1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Latuff-BBC-ERS-May-6-2026-1.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Latuff-BBC-ERS-May-6-2026-1.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Latuff-BBC-ERS-May-6-2026-1.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Latuff-BBC-ERS-May-6-2026-1.jpeg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":66049,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2026\/05\/carlos-illustrated-radio-listening-report-and-recording-of-the-bbc-emergency-radio-service-may-6-2026\/","url_meta":{"origin":18852,"position":5},"title":"Carlos\u2019 Illustrated Radio Listening Report and Recording of the BBC Emergency Radio Service (May 6, 2026)","author":"Thomas","date":"May 7, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to\u00a0SWLing Post\u00a0contributor and noted political cartoonist,\u00a0Carlos Latuff, who shares the following\u00a0illustrated radio listening report of a recent BBC Emergency Radio Service broadcast. Carlos notes: BBC Emergency Radio Service https:\/\/youtube.com\/shorts\/MPxKGv1yT80?si=6ooOFzsUBN8qRINF Click here to view on YouTube.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Art&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Art","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/art-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Latuff-BBC-ERS-May-6-2026-1-1-scaled.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Latuff-BBC-ERS-May-6-2026-1-1-scaled.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Latuff-BBC-ERS-May-6-2026-1-1-scaled.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Latuff-BBC-ERS-May-6-2026-1-1-scaled.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Latuff-BBC-ERS-May-6-2026-1-1-scaled.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Latuff-BBC-ERS-May-6-2026-1-1-scaled.jpeg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18852","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18852"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18852\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18852"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18852"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18852"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}