BBC HAUNTED HOUSE BROADCAST
[SPECIAL-PROGRAM]
[Harry Price, Most Haunted House…] “For special cases, as in my broadcast from the ‘haunted
manor’ at Meopham, Kent, I use an electric signaling instrument which automatically reveals to
the investigator (who has no need to leave his base-room) a movement of any object in any part of
the house, or a change in temperature in the ‘controlled’ rooms.” [*This set-up is illustrated in
Fifty Years of Psychical Research, London, 1939.]
[Price] “The British Broadcasting Corporation is nothing if not enterprising, and the
Department of Outside Broadcasts is always the first to investigate the possibilities of radiating
anything of a topical nature, if interesting enough to the general public. It will be remembered
that I broadcast from the ‘haunted house’ at Meopham on March 10, 1936, when the ghost-
hunting technique employed was very successfully relayed. Mr. S. J. de Lotbiniere was in charge
of the transmission.”
[“Trailing a Ghost: Microphones in a Haunted House,” The Times, March 10, 1936] “A old
manor house which is reputed to be haunted is to be the scene of a broadcast experiment tonight.
Some of the abnormal manifestations which the B.B.C. and Mr. Harry Price, honorary secretary of
the London University Council for Psychical Research, hope to describe and record for listeners
are the muffled footsteps which legend says are frequently heard in various parts of the house;
eerie winds of unknown origin which sweep through the lower storey; and the sudden and
mysterious opening of doors, especially the door of the wine cellar. Listeners, however, may be
warned not to expect too much of manifestations of this kind which might, no doubt, be more
convincingly provided by the sound department of the B.B.C. The first part of the broadcast,
which will be heard by National listeners from 8 to 8:20, will be devoted to a full account of the
preparations made earlier in the day by Mr. Price and the B.B.C. to trail the ghost. At the end of
this description listeners will be invited to tune in at the traditional witching hour. If they are in
readiness at 11:45 they may presumably expect equal punctuality on the part of the ghost.”
[“Radio Balks Ghosts.” Palm Beach Post (April 1, 1936)] “In English Kent there stands a manor
house which is said to be occupied by one or more ghosts. Certain persons have heard these
ghosts walking around and conversing, or one ghost talking to itself, or kicking up a racket of
some kind.
“Many persons convinced themselves of the truthfulness of the ghost’s cavorting at night. The
story was a good one. So the British Broadcasting company a few nights ago attempted to
broadcast this ghost.
“The floors of the house were covered with powdered chalk that the footprints might stand out.
There was a recording thermometer to gauge changes in temperature—believing one declaring
that the house grew oppressively warm while the ghost was carrying on. Sensitive instruments
were placed thickly about to pick up the least sound.
“Unfortunately, the ghost refused to put in appearance, to take advantage of this opportunity to
prove existence. At midnight the big broadcasting company had to admit failure to trap the shade.
“Various persons immediately came forward with various reasons why the ghost didn’t show up,
the most pertinent, perhaps, being that the regulations for broadcasting in England requires a
script to be presented to the broadcasting company in advance. No successful spook would stoop
to such a rule.
“The London Times jubilates because the experiment failed. It believes that if listeners had
heard the ghost say, ‘Good evening, everybody,’ many would have expired in their chairs while
others would have accused the broadcasting company of a colossal fraud.
“The Manchester Guardian merely finds that nothing is proved by the failure except that the
spook is not a departed publicity agent.”
[“Ghost-Like Silence.” Detroit News (ca. January 9, 1937] “A few days ago the British
Broadcasting corporation attempted to broadcast a ghost. A haunted manor house in Kent was
supplied with microphones, the floor was covered with powdered chalk to record ghostly
footprints, thermometer was ready to record changes in temperature produced by the spooks, and
a large unseen audience was informed, as darkness fell, of all the preparatory steps.
Unfortunately, the shade failed to take advantage of this opportunity, and on shutting down at
midnight the BBC had to admit its nonsuccess. Various reasons for the ghost’s nonappearance
were given by various people, the most pertinent one being that the spook was familiar with the
regulation requiring a script to be presented to the BBC in advance.
“The London Times is glad the experiment failed: it believes that if the listeners had heard the
ghost say, ‘Good evening, everybody,’ many people would have died in their chairs, while others
would have accused the BBC of perpetrating a colossal fraud.
“The Manchester Guardian, however, believes that the test proved nothing except that the ghost
is not a departed publicity agent.”
[CHRONOLOGY]
(NATIONAL PROGRAMME—BBC)
[Tuesday—8:00-8:20 PM]
March 10, 1936 “Haunted House”
[“…A scientific investigation by Harry Price and F. H. Grisewood into the
alleged haunting of an old manor house. The investigators set the scene
and describe their preparations, fromthe house itself…”]
[Tuesday—11:45 PM-12:00 MIDNIGHT]
March 10, 1936 “Haunted House, Part 2”
[“…The investigators report on their evening’s vigil, from the house
itself…”]