BBC preparing to close 198 kHz longwave

[Mediafrog+]

Looks like March 2024 will be the end of 198 kHz longwave. Information campaign has started, redirecting listeners to other platforms. The shutdown would mark the end of 100 years of the BBC on longwave, 90 of them from the current Droitwich facility.

BBC Radio 4 begins information campaign to transition listeners from Long Wave

www.bbc.co.uk

Droitwich Transmitting Station - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

We’ve already seen the closure of 234 Luxembourg, 207 Iceland and 252 Ireland this year alone, and 189 Iceland is due to shut down before the end of 2024.

 

[Miss Tuned]

March 2024 is the end of separate programming on BBC Radio 4 LW - currently the Shipping Forecast, a daily religious service, some Parliament coverage and live cricket (Test Match Special). These are all already available through other means (DAB and online streaming). There's been no date set for the closure of the transmitters themselves.

The religious and Parliamentary programming makes use of secondary channels on DAB - they appear as separate "split" stations next to BBC Radio 4 when on-air. The cricket coverage makes use of a dedicated sports DAB stream, Radio 5 Live Sports Extra. The shipping forecast is largely redundant and exists so that people in landlocked Oxfordshire can fall asleep listening to it.

 

[Mediafrog+]

March 2024 is the end of separate programming on BBC Radio 4 LW - currently the Shipping Forecast, a daily religious service, some Parliament coverage and live cricket (Test Match Special). These are all already available through other means (DAB and online streaming). There's been no date set for the closure of the transmitters themselves.

Probably true for the actual transmitter closing, though I would think that wouldn’t be far behind.

Aren‘t there still some data services transmitted on 198? Been curious if it might be left on for a while longer as an “open carrier” much as 162 in France continues to do?

 

[Miss Tuned]

Probably true for the actual transmitter closing, though I would think that wouldn’t be far behind.

Aren‘t there still some data services transmitted on 198? Been curious if it might be left on for a while longer as an “open carrier” much as 162 in France continues to do?

It's not my area of expertise, but I understand there was some data related to electricity meters being transmitted on the channel. I don't know if that's still the case.

 

[Mediafrog+]

Speaking of the BBC closing things: A rumor popped up on SWDX forums over the weekend that the BBC World Service will close down its Singapore relay station in July. Absolutely no substantiation of this, but the Singapore facility is only being used at a fraction of its capacity, and most of its transmitters are very old…so it’s demise would not be a surprise. Worth keeping an eye on.

 

[Mediafrog+]

Thread bump to note that there is increased chatter on DX forums that the BBC will end its 198 kHz longwave transmission of Radio 4 on March 31, 2024. Apparently announcements are now being aired advising listeners of alternate options.

The 198 carrier might remain on the air after that date to continue the teleswitch data transmissions, similar to what TDF did with 162 in France after the end of France-Inter programming on that frequency.

 

[crainbebo]

I thought Singapore's BBC SW relay already closed down. I remember their 9740khz BBCWS relay would boom in early mornings to WA state several years ago. But I don't bother with what little is left on shortwave nowadays.
The end of an era for longwave is coming. In fact, Gold on 1548 just ceased operations this weekend for good...the London MW relay. This, just several months after Absolute Radio left 1215khz.

 

[Mediafrog+]

I thought Singapore's BBC SW relay already closed down.

The BBC Singapore relay closed on July 16; I think this was discussed on another thread.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

I thought Singapore's BBC SW relay already closed down. I remember their 9740khz BBCWS relay would boom in early mornings to WA state several years ago. But I don't bother with what little is left on shortwave nowadays.
The end of an era for longwave is coming. In fact, Gold on 1548 just ceased operations this weekend for good...the London MW relay. This, just several months after Absolute Radio left 1215khz.

Theres plenty left on SW if oyu know when and where to look, its just not quite the entertainment level stuff from the 60s 70s and 80s.

The Kranji, Singapore SW relay closed down this summer

 

[gar hi]

When I had my Grundig G8 in Florida 10 years ago, longwave was was like a ghost town except for some beacons.

I got the impression that longwave was on the way out even then even though it was still being used somewhat in Europe.

 

[Ed Nielson]

We’ve already seen the closure of 234 Luxembourg, 207 Iceland and 252 Ireland this year alone, and 189 Iceland is due to shut down before the end of 2024.

RTL 234 was the last domino to fall. It was truly the end of an era. Europe, but especially France, has an extremely colorful history when it comes to LW broadcasting.

 

[CentralFL]

LW is still being used in North Africa. There is a FB page for the old Atlantic 252. People discuss a station from Algeria which makes its way up to the UK at night on that frequency. Sadly, though Longwave is almost gone.

 

[davideduardo]

I got the impression that longwave was on the way out even then even though it was still being used somewhat in Europe.

Where was longwave being widely used other that Europe, northern Africa and a bit of the Middle East and select locations in Asia? Never used in the Western Hemisphere and most of the rest of the world.

 

[K6JHU]

So let's see if I have this. Longwave stations are closing down. Shortwave is essentially dead. Europe AMs are being moved to DAB. Canada and Mexico are shifting AM to FM. AM in the US is moving to translators. But one of the issues is keeping AM radios in cars. Think maybe it is time in the US to not fight closing down broadcasting on LW, MW (AM), and SW

 

[Marcos_C]

AM in the US is moving to translators. Think maybe it is time in the US to not fight closing down broadcasting on LW, MW (AM), and SW

As was mentioned previously, LW has never been used in the Americas for broadcasting. Sure, numerous AM stations in the US are broadcasting on FM, whether through a full-power FM station or through a translator; however, many more remain on AM only.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

So let's see if I have this. Longwave stations are closing down. Shortwave is essentially dead. Europe AMs are being moved to DAB. Canada and Mexico are shifting AM to FM. AM in the US is moving to translators. But one of the issues is keeping AM radios in cars. Think maybe it is time in the US to not fight closing down broadcasting on LW, MW (AM), and SW

You kinda make it seem like the country as a whole is fighting to not close it down.. there are stations who if they were allowed, would shut the AM off last week and keep the translator

 

[crainbebo]

If the FCC lifted the translator rule, half of America's AM stations would go defunct within a year. Turn in the license, go to FM-only.

 

[davideduardo]

So let's see if I have this. Longwave stations are closing down. Shortwave is essentially dead. Europe AMs are being moved to DAB. Canada and Mexico are shifting AM to FM.

Mexico allowed somewhat over 70% of its AM stations to move to FM, but they opened up many of the AM channels for new stations, mostly in rural indigenous population areas. In the top markets, most of the AMs could not move to FM as all channels were already filled. Although Mexico relaxed second adjacent channel spacing to permit the moves, along the border international rules did not allow that along the US border.

To a lesser extent, Canada has re-utilized station channels where the original station moved to FM as AMs serving minority audiences. In the rest of Latin America, the weaker signals and otherwise marginal station have closed, but there are still a lot of stations on AM

AM in the US is moving to translators.

Not "moving" but "adding". They can't "move" as a commercial translator can only operate with its linked AM or HD channel.

But one of the issues is keeping AM radios in cars. Think maybe it is time in the US to not fight closing down broadcasting on LW, MW (AM), and SW

The USA never had LW, so nothing to close. US SW stations have never been allowed to serve domestic audiences, so nothing there, either. And AM still reaches tens of millions of listeners each week.

There is no other practical use of the AM band in the US. So why not just leave it?

 

[TomásEstefan]

Mexico allowed somewhat over 70% of its AM stations to move to FM, but they opened up many of the AM channels for new stations, mostly in rural indigenous population areas. In the top markets, most of the AMs could not move to FM as all channels were already filled. Although Mexico relaxed second adjacent channel spacing to permit the moves, along the border international rules did not allow that along the US border.

To a lesser extent, Canada has re-utilized station channels where the original station moved to FM as AMs serving minority audiences. In the rest of Latin America, the weaker signals and otherwise marginal station have closed, but there are still a lot of stations on AM

Not "moving" but "adding". They can't "move" as a commercial translator can only operate with its linked AM or HD channel.

The USA never had LW, so nothing to close. US SW stations have never been allowed to serve domestic audiences, so nothing there, either. And AM still reaches tens of millions of listeners each week.

There is no other practical use of the AM band in the US. So why not just leave it?

As far as SW is concerned, in the US, "allowed" is a pretty subjective term. The majority, as I understand it, of listeners to the US Shortwave religious/right wing political broadcasters are American.

 

[davideduardo]

As far as SW is concerned, in the US, "allowed" is a pretty subjective term. The majority, as I understand it, of listeners to the US Shortwave religious/right wing political broadcasters are American.

True, but there is really... and never has been... any money in SW. Remember that in the pre-WW II years the two "Big Networks" had international commercial SW operations, but neither was ever truly successful.