Voices Out of the Air

This coming Monday (13 February) is World Radio Day. It’s a UNESCO initiative but I’ve found very little that is actually happening to mark the event, I only came across it quite by chance.

World Radio Day seeks to “raise awareness about the importance of radio, facilitate access to information through radio and enhance networking among broadcasters.”

Taking the world theme literally I thought I’d use the occasion to post a programme from 1982 celebrating 50 years of the BBC’s external services, Voices Out of the Air.

It was at 0930 GMT on Monday 19 December 1932 that Sir John Reith launched the BBC’s Empire Service – later the BBC Overseas Service and now the BBC World Service. In this Radio 4 programme presented by Margaret Howard she recalls how the service quickly built its reputation during the war years. You’ll hear contributions from Douglas Muggeridge, Gerard Mansell, Jean Metcalfe, Leonard Miall and Alexander Lieven.

Voices Out of the Air was broadcast on Tuesday 30 November 1982.