Does this mean an end to split programming for sport and religious programing?
The 'AM death watch' thread...
10 of 50
Originally Posted by wns_195:
“Does this mean an end to split programming for sport and religious programing?”
“Does this mean an end to split programming for sport and religious programing?”
No, that's on the digital channel RTE Radio 1 Extra
http://www.rte.ie/radio1/static/2014...54-stay-tuned/
Originally Posted by RiderOnTheWheel:
“RTE Radio 1 on 252kHz closes down on 27 October 2014.
http://www.rte.ie/radio1/static/2014...54-stay-tuned/”
“RTE Radio 1 on 252kHz closes down on 27 October 2014.
http://www.rte.ie/radio1/static/2014...54-stay-tuned/”
Another punch to the head for long wave - not long until the knock out now.....
Originally Posted by wns_195:
“Does this mean an end to split programming for sport and religious programing?”
“Does this mean an end to split programming for sport and religious programing?”
Originally Posted by MikeBr:
“No, that's on the digital channel RTE Radio 1 Extra
http://www.rte.ie/radio1/static/2014...54-stay-tuned/”
“No, that's on the digital channel RTE Radio 1 Extra
http://www.rte.ie/radio1/static/2014...54-stay-tuned/”
Going by Ex Pat's post there's going to be a lot of annoyed people who can no longer get the LW opt outs, because of patchy DAB coverage.
Originally Posted by Resonance:
“Going by Ex Pat's post there's going to be a lot of annoyed people who can no longer get the LW opt outs, because of patchy DAB coverage.”
“Going by Ex Pat's post there's going to be a lot of annoyed people who can no longer get the LW opt outs, because of patchy DAB coverage.”
I presume RTE did some research as on the website they say the numbers of listeners to long wave is very small?
Hardly a great number are going to get DAB to keep listening? The optouts are also on the internet and the Saorview, the Irish equivalent to Freeview, which is also in Northern Ireland.
Originally Posted by Colin_London:
“Another punch to the head for long wave - not long until the knock out now.....”
“Another punch to the head for long wave - not long until the knock out now.....”
BBC Radio 4 LW has possibly about another 6 or 7 years left until it gets switched off under the published DQF cutbacks, unless there is a major failure?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-news...where-25683656
Quote:
“The BBC says that although it is planning to end its use of long-wave radio at some time in the future, there is no specific date for the closure of its Radio 4 transmissions on 198 kHz,”
“The BBC says that although it is planning to end its use of long-wave radio at some time in the future, there is no specific date for the closure of its Radio 4 transmissions on 198 kHz,”
Any chance the BBC could buy the 252 rig, move it to droitwich, retune it to 198 and keep R4 lw going for many more years ?
It would improve the transmission quality!
I daresay this closure, and the swiftness of it, is being watched with some interest.
I daresay this closure, and the swiftness of it, is being watched with some interest.
Originally Posted by Maggie_King:
“Any chance the BBC could buy the 252 rig, move it to droitwich, retune it to 198 and keep R4 lw going for many more years ?”
“Any chance the BBC could buy the 252 rig, move it to droitwich, retune it to 198 and keep R4 lw going for many more years ?”
The BBC planned to close Droitwich earlier, extended due to an agreement with the electrical supply industry which by 2020 will no longer need longwave. Part of the analogue contract with Arqiva which I suspect ends around then too.
I knew RTE 252 wouldn't last forever but because the tansmitter is pretty new, i expected it to last untill about the end of the decade.
Originally Posted by Maggie_King:
“I knew RTE 252 wouldn't last forever but because the tansmitter is pretty new, i expected it to last untill about the end of the decade.”
“I knew RTE 252 wouldn't last forever but because the tansmitter is pretty new, i expected it to last untill about the end of the decade.”
25 years isn't that young. But it wasn't the age of the equipment that has prompted this (at least as far as we are aware). The stated reasons are Running Costs (very high) vs. Listenership (low).
Originally Posted by Colin_London:
“25 years isn't that young. But it wasn't the age of the equipment that has prompted this (at least as far as we are aware). The stated reasons are Running Costs (very high) vs. Listenership (low).”
“25 years isn't that young. But it wasn't the age of the equipment that has prompted this (at least as far as we are aware). The stated reasons are Running Costs (very high) vs. Listenership (low).”
They installed an new transmitter back in March 2007.
Originally Posted by Maggie_King:
“They installed an new transmitter back in March 2007.”
“They installed an new transmitter back in March 2007.”
Even at 7 years old the statement Running Costs (very high) vs. Listenership (low) must still hold.
Maybe if retuned to MW might still have a good secondhand value for an AM, DRM enabled transmitter in India or Africa?
I don't think too many in the republic will be bothered by this as Radio One has mostly decent reception on FM. However in many parts of the north it can be difficult to get a good FM signal, as well as parts of Cork and Kerry. However LW is almost unusable these days in households with a lot more electrical items causing interference.
Having said that would it not have been wise to give 3 months notice rather than 5 weeks? The few people that do rely on the service are the same people that would need the extra notice.
Having said that would it not have been wise to give 3 months notice rather than 5 weeks? The few people that do rely on the service are the same people that would need the extra notice.
Originally Posted by chinamug:
“I don't think too many in the republic will be bothered by this as Radio One has mostly decent reception on FM. However in many parts of the north it can be difficult to get a good FM signal, as well as parts of Cork and Kerry. However LW is almost unusable these days in households with a lot more electrical items causing interference.
Having said that would it not have been wise to give 3 months notice rather than 5 weeks? The few people that do rely on the service are the same people that would need the extra notice.”
“I don't think too many in the republic will be bothered by this as Radio One has mostly decent reception on FM. However in many parts of the north it can be difficult to get a good FM signal, as well as parts of Cork and Kerry. However LW is almost unusable these days in households with a lot more electrical items causing interference.
Having said that would it not have been wise to give 3 months notice rather than 5 weeks? The few people that do rely on the service are the same people that would need the extra notice.”
5 weeks is about 4.5 weeks more notice than long wave listeners in Russia got.
As MikeBr said if not for the economy 7 system contract on 198 the notice on R4 LW would have been much shorter than approx 10 years (3 years ago with a date still to be confirmed).
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/radio4/po...s_to_bbc_radio
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/radio4/po...s_to_bbc_radio
Originally Posted by chinamug:
“I don't think too many in the republic will be bothered by this as Radio One has mostly decent reception on FM. However in many parts of the north it can be difficult to get a good FM signal, as well as parts of Cork and Kerry. However LW is almost unusable these days in households with a lot more electrical items causing interference.
Having said that would it not have been wise to give 3 months notice rather than 5 weeks? The few people that do rely on the service are the same people that would need the extra notice.”
“I don't think too many in the republic will be bothered by this as Radio One has mostly decent reception on FM. However in many parts of the north it can be difficult to get a good FM signal, as well as parts of Cork and Kerry. However LW is almost unusable these days in households with a lot more electrical items causing interference.
Having said that would it not have been wise to give 3 months notice rather than 5 weeks? The few people that do rely on the service are the same people that would need the extra notice.”
So that will be people in the Republic who can't get it on FM and don't have Saorview, Saorsat, Sky, Internet or Freesat and are using a platform that didn't exist until a decade ago - how many people are really in that situation? In the north there would be fewer covered by some of those platforms (i.e. Saorview/FM) but the others are widely available. The 5 weeks notice is plenty of time to get one of those sorted isn't it?
In the UK the BBC should start making it clear that 198LW and Radio 4's MW outlets are on borrowed time - even if that's starting subtlety - "Radio 4 on LW and MW now joins Radio 5 Live Sports Extra for live test match coverage", listings in the Radio Times as "As Radio 5 Live Sports Extra" etc. (i.e. R4LW only having Daily Service and Today/Yesterday in Parliament as it's "own" programming - the rest being another stations)
There comes a point where it's cheaper to give all the remaining listeners a simple DAB radio than continuing to pay the running costs of the MW or LW transmissions. 
Originally Posted by DigMorris:
“There comes a point where it's cheaper to give all the remaining listeners a simple DAB radio than continuing to pay the running costs of the MW or LW transmissions.”
“There comes a point where it's cheaper to give all the remaining listeners a simple DAB radio than continuing to pay the running costs of the MW or LW transmissions.
”
Maybe someone should tell absolute radio ? Must cost a small fortune for them on 1215 ect.
Originally Posted by Maggie_King:
“I would have thought that absolute
radio AM would have gone long before RTE 252.”
“I would have thought that absolute
radio AM would have gone long before RTE 252.”
There must be a point were it is no longer economic to be on AM ?
I would hate to think the electric bill must be ?
Originally Posted by DigMorris:
“There comes a point where it's cheaper to give all the remaining listeners a simple DAB radio than continuing to pay the running costs of the MW or LW transmissions.”
“There comes a point where it's cheaper to give all the remaining listeners a simple DAB radio than continuing to pay the running costs of the MW or LW transmissions.
”
I can't imagine them doing so though, similar things were said in the last years of 405 TV but never happened.
Originally Posted by DigMorris:
“There comes a point where it's cheaper to give all the remaining listeners a simple DAB radio than continuing to pay the running costs of the MW or LW transmissions.”
“There comes a point where it's cheaper to give all the remaining listeners a simple DAB radio than continuing to pay the running costs of the MW or LW transmissions.
”
Far cheaper but that always assumes that those listeners could get DAB if given a set. I live in a hilly urban area with supposedly blanket DAB coverage and the available stations can vary from street to street.
In sparsly populated remote areas with difficult terrain low powered AM might remain the answer. BBC Hereford & Worcester fills in its FM-DAB gaps in Worcestershire with a 20 watt AM transmitter.
I notice RTE mention digital radio when referring to listeners in Northern Ireland who cannot receive RTE Radio 1 on FM. Wonder if they're planning to put a limited service on the local DAB mux in NI, given there's loads of free space on it now, or maybe remove the null to the North from Clermont Cairn ?
Or maybe they're just referring to Sky/Freesat or internet radio
To be honest, I don't know why they ever closed 567 kHz. down in preference to long wave.
I wonder if this will find it's way to the NI assembly ? It did when 567 kHz was closed, prompting RTE to move it's Clermont Cairn RM frequency from 95.2 to 87.8 (Due to interference from Carnmoney Hill).
Or maybe they're just referring to Sky/Freesat or internet radio
To be honest, I don't know why they ever closed 567 kHz. down in preference to long wave.
I wonder if this will find it's way to the NI assembly ? It did when 567 kHz was closed, prompting RTE to move it's Clermont Cairn RM frequency from 95.2 to 87.8 (Due to interference from Carnmoney Hill).
Originally Posted by kev:
“So that will be people in the Republic who can't get it on FM and don't have Saorview, Saorsat, Sky, Internet or Freesat and are using a platform that didn't exist until a decade ago - how many people are really in that situation? In the north there would be fewer covered by some of those platforms (i.e. Saorview/FM) but the others are widely available. The 5 weeks notice is plenty of time to get one of those sorted isn't it?
In the UK the BBC should start making it clear that 198LW and Radio 4's MW outlets are on borrowed time - even if that's starting subtlety - "Radio 4 on LW and MW now joins Radio 5 Live Sports Extra for live test match coverage", listings in the Radio Times as "As Radio 5 Live Sports Extra" etc. (i.e. R4LW only having Daily Service and Today/Yesterday in Parliament as it's "own" programming - the rest being another stations)”
“So that will be people in the Republic who can't get it on FM and don't have Saorview, Saorsat, Sky, Internet or Freesat and are using a platform that didn't exist until a decade ago - how many people are really in that situation? In the north there would be fewer covered by some of those platforms (i.e. Saorview/FM) but the others are widely available. The 5 weeks notice is plenty of time to get one of those sorted isn't it?
In the UK the BBC should start making it clear that 198LW and Radio 4's MW outlets are on borrowed time - even if that's starting subtlety - "Radio 4 on LW and MW now joins Radio 5 Live Sports Extra for live test match coverage", listings in the Radio Times as "As Radio 5 Live Sports Extra" etc. (i.e. R4LW only having Daily Service and Today/Yesterday in Parliament as it's "own" programming - the rest being another stations)”
As I said not that many would be affected. However, the few that are would be the ones that do need more than 5 weeks. I'm not talking a huge amount of time here. Why didn't RTE announce this back in July as they must have known then that the transmitter was going off the air? It's almost certainly the right decision but it appears to be a snap one, often snap decisions are regretted.
As for the suggestion that you give everyone a DAB radio, that would be great if you actually had DAB transmitters. Only 56% of the population is covered, and 56% is a very generous figure.
Quote:
“As I said not that many would be affected”
“As I said not that many would be affected”
Apart from those listeners in Northern Ireland.
Reception of RTE Radio on FM is impossible in parts of East/South Belfast and East and north Antrim where there are strong nationalist communities.
This is the reason the closure of 567 kHz was raised by the NI assembly by the SDLP and Sinn Fein.
10 of 50
