April 18, 1930. There were still six years to go before television began broadcasting in the United Kingdom, and news was primarily followed through radio in the absence of print media. However, on that day, in the 8:45 PM BBC bulletin, there were only three written sentences: “Good evening. Today is Good Friday. There is no news.” And then, 15 minutes of piano music. Considering the continuous stream of horrible events that dominate the news whenever we turn on the television, can we please go back to that day in 1930?
The day without news
Indeed, significant events did occur on that very day. Firstly, a typhoon in the Philippines caused several deaths and damage around the island of Leyte. Secondly, martial law was imposed in the British-controlled part of India following a popular uprising. Additionally, in Romania, 118 people died while celebrating Good Friday in a church. So, what happened when it was time for the news bulletin? Did the BBC decide to take the day off?
In 1930, people primarily relied on newspapers for information. Radio, although successful, was still seen as a novelty, so news was perceived more as an extra rather than a necessity. After all, the BBC had only been broadcasting for eight years, and even fiction hadn’t been transmitted yet (that would happen for the first time in July of that same year). At that time, there were just over 3 million radio sets in the entire United Kingdom, which had a population of 46 million. There were still people wondering why tiny people had been placed inside a wooden box.
Furthermore, it was Good Friday, a date that may seem trivial to us now, but back then, it was one of the most important days of the year. It can be considered normal for the BBC not to want to spoil people’s festivities by talking about an insurrection in India, which they would find out about the next day through the serious press (you know, the one printed on paper).
93 years have passed since then, and things have changed, for better or for worse. In a matter of seconds, we can find out which influencer has complained on TikTok or what Quevedo’s favorite food is. But deep down, it would be quite beautiful if all the news broadcasts tomorrow simply said, “There is no news,” and played 15 minutes of a lady playing the piano. Just like the old times.
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