{"id":66054,"date":"2026-05-13T09:52:23","date_gmt":"2026-05-13T13:52:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=66054"},"modified":"2026-05-09T09:57:10","modified_gmt":"2026-05-09T13:57:10","slug":"bbc-looks-back-at-the-first-shortwave-transatlantic-link","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2026\/05\/bbc-looks-back-at-the-first-shortwave-transatlantic-link\/","title":{"rendered":"BBC Looks Back at the First Shortwave Transatlantic Link"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><div id=\"attachment_51161\" style=\"width: 1290px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Marconi_at_newfoundland.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-51161\" class=\"size-full wp-image-51161\" src=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Marconi_at_newfoundland.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1280\" height=\"691\" srcset=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Marconi_at_newfoundland.jpeg 1280w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Marconi_at_newfoundland-300x162.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Marconi_at_newfoundland-1024x553.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Marconi_at_newfoundland-768x415.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Marconi_at_newfoundland-624x337.jpeg 624w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-51161\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Marconi watching associates raising the kite (a &#8220;Levitor&#8221; by B.F.S. Baden-Powell[47]) used to lift the antenna at St. John&#8217;s, Newfoundland, December 1901 (via Wikipedia)<\/p><\/div>Many thanks to <em>SWLing Post<\/em> contributor Markku (VA3MK), for sharing this BBC article marking the centenary of the world\u2019s first shortwave transatlantic telecommunication link between Canada and Somerset, England. Among other things, this article also highlights the historic Marconi Beam Wireless Station at Bridgwater and the challenges of early shortwave radio experimentation. Read the full article here: BBC:\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/cp84d5pl39zo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pioneering&#8217; message that changed the world<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Markku (VA3MK), for sharing this BBC article marking the centenary of the world\u2019s first shortwave transatlantic telecommunication link between Canada and Somerset, England. Among other things, this article also highlights the historic Marconi Beam Wireless Station at Bridgwater and the challenges of early shortwave radio experimentation. Read the full [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","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_feature_clip_id":0,"_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":[3,288,43],"tags":[1314],"class_list":["post-66054","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","category-radio-history","category-shortwave-radio","tag-guglielmo-marconi"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-hbo","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4787,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2012\/11\/tuning-in-radio-4-documentary-on-the-history-of-early-radio-in-britain\/","url_meta":{"origin":66054,"position":0},"title":"&#8220;Tuning In&#8221; Radio 4 documentary on the history of early radio in Britain","author":"Thomas","date":"November 1, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Tuning In, a history of early radio in Britain, will be broadcast November 3rd on BBC Radio 4. If you don't live in the UK, you can listen live on the Radio 4 website where they will also post an archive of the show. (Note that some archived shows are\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Broadcasters&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Broadcasters","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/broadcasters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/RadioListening-300x190.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":39776,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2019\/09\/radio-world-historic-woofferton-boasts-a-modern-twist\/","url_meta":{"origin":66054,"position":1},"title":"Radio World: &#8220;Historic Woofferton Boasts a Modern Twist&#8221;","author":"Thomas","date":"September 23, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"(Source: Radio World via David Iurescia and Michael Bird) WOOFFERTON, England \u2014\u00a0Nestled in the beautiful Shropshire countryside, just a few miles from England\u2019s border with Wales, is the tiny village of Woofferton. That name is synonymous with shortwave radio for millions of listeners around the world as just a short\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\/2018\/10\/Woofferton_transmitting_station_2011.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Woofferton_transmitting_station_2011.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Woofferton_transmitting_station_2011.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Woofferton_transmitting_station_2011.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":52373,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2022\/04\/antiques-roadshow-radio-and-the-changing-sound-of-radio\/","url_meta":{"origin":66054,"position":2},"title":"Antiques Roadshow Radio and &#8220;The changing sound of radio&#8221;","author":"Thomas","date":"April 6, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Pete Madtone, who writes: [L]ast night while I was having my dinner, a lovely Marconi crystal set came on Antiques Roadshow that a chap had rescued from a skip!\u00a0 In the end it was valued for \u00a31000-\u00a31500. A sort of radio you'd love in\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\/2022\/04\/p085r6mj.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/p085r6mj.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/p085r6mj.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":51169,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2021\/12\/bbc-newshour-and-the-first-shortwave-transatlantic-tests\/","url_meta":{"origin":66054,"position":3},"title":"BBC Newshour and the first shortwave Transatlantic Tests","author":"Thomas","date":"December 13, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributors, Doug and Kris, who both share a link to BBC Newshour which was broadcast yesterday (Dec 12, 2021). The final segment of the show focuses on the birth of international shortwave radio and the first Transatlantic tests. You can listen to this report over\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Ham Radio&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Ham Radio","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/ham-radio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/BBC-World-Service-Bush-Ho-007.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":31726,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2018\/04\/international-marconi-day-announcement\/","url_meta":{"origin":66054,"position":4},"title":"International Marconi Day Announcement","author":"Thomas","date":"April 20, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Eric McFadden, for sharing the following announcement for International Marconi Day. Eric states, \"I love the presentation of this invitation!\" Me too, Eric!","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Ham Radio&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Ham Radio","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/ham-radio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/image001-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/image001-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/image001-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/image001-1.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":36783,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2019\/04\/managing-sw-broadcasts-from-ascension-island\/","url_meta":{"origin":66054,"position":5},"title":"&#8220;Managing SW Broadcasts From Ascension Island&#8221;","author":"Thomas","date":"April 3, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to a number of SWLing Post contributors who share the following story from Radio World magazine (this summary via Southgate ARC): Managing short wave broadcasts from Ascension Island Radio World reports on the remote Atlantic Relay Station that transmits critical radio broadcasts to millions in Africa and beyond\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Broadcasters&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Broadcasters","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/broadcasters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Ascension-Island-Map.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Ascension-Island-Map.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Ascension-Island-Map.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Ascension-Island-Map.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66054","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=66054"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66054\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":66055,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66054\/revisions\/66055"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=66054"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=66054"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=66054"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}