Radio 4 LW closing down

prpr

prpr

Well-Known Member
This was announced last week, but had passed me by until just now.
The transmitters on 198 kHz LW at Droitwich, Burghead and Westerglen (are there still any low power fill-ins left?) will cease programme transmissions at 01:00 on 27th June 2026.
I would guess they'll transmit a loop after that for a day or two rather than just pulling the power. Or maybe not.

Wonder how long it will be before the masts are felled and the likes of Barratt and Wimpey and the rest move in to stick up some more overpriced rabbit-hutches?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/reception/work-warning/news/radio4lw
 
Ah so that's why Radio Teleswitching Service (RTS) for some Economy 7 electricity meters is ending, it's carried within the Radio 4 LW signal.

Shutting down Radio 4 LW has been on the cards for many years. I believe the last time this came up they managed to buy the last spares of big valves for the RF amplifiers which extended the service life by a few years.
 
Owen Smith said:
Ah so that's why Radio Teleswitching Service (RTS) for some Economy 7 electricity meters is ending, it's carried within the Radio 4 LW signal.
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It was supposed to happen last year, but there were so many people outstanding on the old system apparently that it had to be extended.
I believe the last time this came up they managed to buy the last spares of big valves for the RF amplifiers which extended the service life by a few years.
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There's a school of thought that says this is just the same old excuse they trot out when they want to get rid of something. There are apparently alternatives but everybody likes to parrot this as it's an easy get out.
 
prpr said:
There's a school of thought that says this is just the same old excuse they trot out when they want to get rid of something. There are apparently alternatives but everybody likes to parrot this as it's an easy get out.
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I have to say, given the BBC's budget is not infinite (far from it), I see very little value in continuing Radio 4 LW. The justification for many years was the shipping forecast as LW can be received much further out to sea than other terrestrial broadcasts. That's all been replaced by satellite I understand. So what remains that is of value?
 
Owen Smith said:
The justification for many years was the shipping forecast as LW can be received much further out to sea than other terrestrial broadcasts. That's all been replaced by satellite I understand. So what remains that is of value?
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There are quite a lot of places in the UK that don't get FM or DAB - try driving round parts of Cumbria or Scotland (not that I've done the latter for a very long time). Even on the M6 to the east of the lakes it was patchy. My car doesn't have LW so I had nothing.
I picked up R4LW from Droitwich in Majorca some years ago.
 
prpr said:
There are quite a lot of places in the UK that don't get FM or DAB - try driving round parts of Cumbria or Scotland (not that I've done the latter for a very long time). Even on the M6 to the east of the lakes it was patchy. My car doesn't have LW so I had nothing.
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My car does not have LW either, and I suspect most don't. So keeping Radio 4 LW going for this scenario is pointless because very few cars can receive it. I suspect a far higher proportion of drivers will be able to stream on mobile broadband for this use case than use LW.
prpr said:
I picked up R4LW from Droitwich in Majorca some years ago.
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And? Majorca does not fund the BBC.
 
Redmoss (Aberdeen) is/has been a fill in Long Wave transmitter. There is indication that it is now shut down or is going to be so.
Burghead site is already being offered for sale. Apparently there will only be one communication mast left in situ and the other two/three masts will be dismantled and although the stays will be removed the concrete anchor points will remain in situ.
 
Owen Smith said:
Ah so that's why Radio Teleswitching Service (RTS) for some Economy 7 electricity meters is ending, it's carried within the Radio 4 LW signal.
Click to expand...
That's why I ended up getting a smart meter. One of the previous occupiers of this dump I call home must have had Economy 7. When I moved in the day and night tariffs were the same. When the RTS finished it would have stayed on the last tariff - so wouldn't have been a problem! Ever get the feeling you've been conned?
 
prpr said:
I picked up R4LW from Droitwich in Majorca some years ago.
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I think I picked it up in Munich some years ago - but it's just possible I might be confusing it with the World Service on SW.
Owen Smith said:
And? Majorca does not fund the BBC.
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And no, Germany doesn't fund the BBC either.
Surely the point is the reach of the LW transmission - possibly irrelevant in the days if internet streaming of radio, if it isn't geo-blocked.
 
EEPhil said:
That's why I ended up getting a smart meter. One of the previous occupiers of this dump I call home must have had Economy 7. When I moved in the day and night tariffs were the same. When the RTS finished it would have stayed on the last tariff - so wouldn't have been a problem! Ever get the feeling you've been conned?
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I've been on Economy 7 since my house was new in 1987 and still am. I've never been on RTS, it's a local timeswitch which has been changed twice while I have lived here and it's now almost an hour adrift.
 
EEPhil said:
Surely the point is the reach of the LW transmission - possibly irrelevant in the days if internet streaming of radio, if it isn't geo-blocked.
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BBC Radio provides international streams accessible worldwide. They're 96kbps AAC which while not as good as the superb UK only 320kbps AAC streams, sound pretty decent. Probably better than LW sounds anyway.
 
Owen Smith said:
My car does not have LW either, and I suspect most don't.
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My after-market JVC car stereo (DAB+) has AM and FM bands, and AM tunes all the way from LW to MW – so just because it doesn't say LW explicitly...

Not that I ever have a reason to, but out of curiosity I put on 198kHz and got a very crackly R4, only recognisable because I knew it should be The News Quiz. Reception in a car is not exactly AM friendly!
 
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