A 1938 television miracle: BBC television signals from across the Atlantic

Incredible weather conditions in 1938 resulted in pre-war BBC television signals to travel across the Atlantic from London to New York.

Sometimes, history throws us a curveball, revealing incredible moments that seem almost impossible. Site editor and podcast producer Christian Cawley recently stumbled upon one such gem, and couldn’t wait to share it.

Imagine this: it’s 1938, television is still a relatively new and experimental technology, and a freak atmospheric anomaly allows BBC television signals to travel thousands of miles across the Atlantic Ocean, landing in New York City.

Yes, you read that right. (Hear Christian chat about this in the latest podcast from around 12 minutes.)

A 3-minute and 18-second clip (though some descriptions mention 4 minutes, likely due to slight editing) of this extraordinary event has been circulating, notably on the Internet Archive and now on YouTube. This isn’t a recent discovery; it’s been available for some time, but it’s a story that deserves to be told.

Freak weather diverted BBC television signals!

Here’s the fascinating part: due to unusual weather conditions, the signals were bounced within the atmosphere, enabling them to be received in New York. A person there, with remarkable foresight, filmed what was appearing on their television screen.

Think about it: in 1938, long before satellite communication and the internet, a bizarre atmospheric fluke allowed television signals from Britain to be captured in America. It’s a testament to the unpredictable nature of technology and the atmosphere itself.

As Christian recalls in the podcast, such phenomena aren’t completely alien to the modern world. Atmospheric disruptions in the 1990s, blamed on sun spots, mainly affected BBC television, although you never heard of anyone in other countries picking up British television — or vice versa.

Of course, there were exceptions. Some parts of the UK could receive television signals from the Netherlands (and vice versa), due to their proximity. But the idea of transatlantic television reception in 1938, caused by a rare atmospheric phenomenon, is truly extraordinary.

This clip is a fascinating glimpse into a time when television was still in its infancy, and the world was full of unexpected technological surprises. It’s a reminder that even in our modern, interconnected world, the atmosphere can still hold mysteries and deliver unexpected wonders.