Does this sound right to you? The UK newspaper The Independent has unearthed documents from 1955 that detail the plans of the BBC in the event of a nuclear strike. According to the article:

Just before the first missiles had reached Britain, the BBC was to use regional centres in Birmingham, Sheffield, Bristol and Middlesbrough to broadcast a national service that the Government hoped would create "a diversion to relieve strain and stress".

As long as they don't start playing "We'll Meet Again" by Vera Lynn, I guess it might work, although I think it's safe to say that people would only be pacified for so long before they figured out what's going on. But then, considering that this is from the same era that brought us Duck and Cover, I suppose we shouldn't really be surprised.

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