Radio Londra

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Radio Londra, known in Italy as Radio Londra, was the BBC’s Italian-language broadcasts to countries in continental Europe under German control. It began on 27 September 1938 and finished on 31 December 1981. The programs were in Italian and aimed at people living in occupied Europe.

The idea may have come from Italians, who had seen how popular Radio Bari’s Arabic broadcasts were in the Middle East and North Africa. The Italian service started around the time of the Munich crisis, and with the outbreak of World War II in 1939 its broadcasts grew. By 1943 the daily airtime reached about 4 hours and 9 minutes.

The BBC’s Italian service was trusted because it was run by the BBC, a self-governing organization that kept news separate from propaganda. It was known for timely, direct, and practical reporting. One famous presenter was Harold Stevens, nicknamed Colonnello Buonasera (Colonel Good Evening) in Italy, a British officer who lived in Rome and spoke calmly, offering reassurance. Another well-known voice was Candidus (John Marus), who argued against Nazi-Fascist propaganda.

Radio Londra also sent special messages for Italian resistance groups, drafted by the Allied High Command. The broadcasts often opened with Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, symbolizing “V” for Victory and linking to Winston Churchill.

After the war, the BBC kept Italian programming with a nightly show called L’Ora di Londra (London’s Hour) until 31 December 1981, when it ended despite protests. It is said that at least 100,000 Italians continued listening up to the end.