{"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":"

\"\"<\/a>

Marconi watching associates raising the kite (a “Levitor” by B.F.S. Baden-Powell[47]) used to lift the antenna at St. John’s, Newfoundland, December 1901 (via Wikipedia)<\/p><\/div>Many thanks to 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 Pioneering’ message that changed the world<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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 […]<\/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_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":"“Tuning In” 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 "Broadcasters"","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: “Historic Woofferton Boasts a Modern Twist”","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 "News"","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 “The changing sound of radio”","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 "News"","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":31726,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2018\/04\/international-marconi-day-announcement\/","url_meta":{"origin":66054,"position":3},"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 "Ham Radio"","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":51169,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2021\/12\/bbc-newshour-and-the-first-shortwave-transatlantic-tests\/","url_meta":{"origin":66054,"position":4},"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 "Ham Radio"","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":20664,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2016\/08\/abc-radio-national-interviews-author-of-new-marconi-biography\/","url_meta":{"origin":66054,"position":5},"title":"ABC Radio National interviews author of new Marconi biography","author":"Thomas","date":"August 17, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, John Figliozzi, who shared a link the following radio program via the Shortwave Programs email list. John writes: Here\u2019s an interesting segment heard recently on ABC Radio National\u2019s and Radio Australia's \u201cLate Night Live\u201d: Marconi: The Man Who Networked the World is a new\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Guglielmo Marconi","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/450px-Guglielmo_Marconi.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"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}]}}