When Neon Signs Crashed The Airwaves

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How Neon Signs Sparked a Radio Crisis in 1939

Imagine it: It’s June 1939, a jittery nation on the edge of war. Radios – better known as "the wireless" – were everywhere. Churchill was still waiting in the wings, but suspense filled the air. And smack in the centre of it, Westminster argued about glowing adverts.

Yes, neon – the future glow of Piccadilly. Gaudy signs and buzzing tubes messed with people’s radios.

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A Static Uprising
Mr. Gallacher, MP, stood up to grill the Postmaster-General: how many complaints had the government received about neon signs causing static? The reply: about one thousand in just one year.

Think about that: a thousand furious Britons convinced neon was scrambling their jazz.

Government’s Static
Major Tryon, Postmaster-General, acknowledged it was no simple matter. Neon signs did disrupt reception, but Westminster lacked authority to force shop owners to fix it. Many voluntarily used interference gadgets, but they didn’t have to.

The Minister said the Wireless Telegraphy Bill would address it, but called it complicated with "many interests". Translation: no one wanted blame.

MPs Pile On
Gallacher demanded action: listeners paid their dues, and received buzzing instead of jazz. Shouldn’t the government step in?

Mr. Poole jumped in: never mind the adverts – wasn’t the Central Electricity Board responsible, with power lines humming through the land?

Tryon mumbled a non-answer, calling it "part of the complication." Meaning: everything was interfering with everything else.

What It Tells Us
Looking back, this forgotten row shows neon signs were once literally strong enough to scramble radios. In 1939, neon represented modernity – and the establishment was spooked.

Wireless was king, neon played the rebel, and Parliament crackled with confusion.

Our View
Eighty-five years later, the irony is rich. Back then, neon was the noisy menace. Today, it’s a dying craft, swamped by LED plastic fakes, while MPs debate saving tradition.

But whether the past or now, one truth still stands: neon never goes quietly. It demands a reaction – on the streets or above your bar.

So if you notice a hum, know neon signs literally froze the airwaves. And they still spark attention.

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