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On 1 September 1939, with war looking unavoidable, the ´óÏó´«Ã½ took steps to prepare for the conflict. Shortly after noon the television service was unceremoniously shut down, following the cartoon Mickey’s Gala Premiere. It was said that the strong signal from the transmitter at Alexandra Palace would provide a navigational aid for enemy aircraft. At the same time the radio service was re-organised, with the National and Regional Services brought into one Home Service. While television remained silent during the war, ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio – after an initial hiccup when the airwaves were filled with organ music - provided a welcome distraction.

Only 20,000 households had television sets, and as television programmes were expensive to produce, it was felt the resources saved could be better used elsewhere during wartime. Fifty engineers were redeployed to work on radar projects.

Television started again on 7 June 1946, with a brief opening ceremony and a repeat of the Mickey Mouse cartoon that preceded the closedown. The post-war television audience was almost non-existent and - although the service was a monopoly – the ´óÏó´«Ã½ had to work hard to convince sceptics it could offer an alternative to the radio, which had proved so successful during the war.