War in the Ether - The Ear of Britain
The first in a series of programmes by the BBC broadcast in early 1940 to inform the British public about how the BBC monitors propaganda and news by enemy and neutral countries. This seemingly open, lighthearted tactic was typical of the strategies used in the war against propaganda.
The BBC Monitoring Service has its origins in 1935. However, it was during World War Two that it came into its own. Staff with wide-ranging skills and experience monitored radio broadcasts and other communications from around the world.
In the case of Lord Haw-Haw, all of his broadcasts, even those from before he was identified, were recorded and transcribed. To this day, they remain preserved by the BBC Archive.
