I tried 1260 and 1548 in the car at 9:30 (MW is useless in the house for some reason) and I think they've gone. There was a mush on 1260 and 1548 seemed empty, although to be fair Worcester isn't in the coverage area?

Are they gone? I have fond memories...

I'm not concluding anything. I'm throwing out for discussion one idea as to why Aunty is keeping a MW network going while all around are ceasing what is left of their networks. If you can propose a better reason for this intriguing behaviour of the Beeb, then please share it.

At the end of the Beeb's national mux rollout there will still be significant areas of the UK that are officially "uncovered" on DAB/+. Most of my action radius in the Highlands and Islands comes to mind, as does the interior of Wales. An SFN using DRM30 could be the answer here, and with frequency refarming could afford the Beeb up to 4 speech quality channels for the likes of Parliament, Daily Service and assorted sports commentaries.

Power levels from the main sites on DRM30 would only have to be a small fraction of what is now in use for AM, say a couple of kW from a site that previously radiated 100kW per audio service, resulting in a significant and perhaps game-changing OPEX saving. Remember that the reason DRM (as it was then) was developed was to make MW and LW relevant in the digital age, not to replace any existing high-quality DAB or WBFM services.

DRM30/+ is not a "new platform" and in fact has been in service to a limited extent around the world for a decade now, certainly on shortwave. As mentioned in posts above, DRM functionality is now baked into more modern digital radio chipsets, so by and large add a ferrite antenna and suitably screened front-end and you're good to go.

As for 4G being the panacea for all service delivery woes, it always amuses me that those proposing this notion are not those who actually work in the industry. I'm a radio nutter in my spare time, and wander the world designing, building and optimising 3G and 4G networks for a living. 4G is not the saviour, as the bandwidths, throughput and numbers of users that can be accommodated on a mobile network simply do not scale to anything like that required for a broadcast network.

Mostly this is the fault of the transmission infrastructure between the sites and the 'core network' as, out in the boonies where you propose 4G will help the most, the idea of self-healing transmission rings is a fantasy. Rather, the reality is long daisy-chains of sites where the first in the chain has to support all of the downstream bandwidth, usually over a microwave link to the core instead of fibre. Not only is this a single point of failure but also it leads to the transmission guys hard-limiting the capacity to each site to a small fraction of what the 3G and 4G air interfaces are able to support.

I could give about two dozen further reasons from experience why mobile networks do not/won't ever scale to broadcast grade but this is an 'AM deathwatch' thread and I'm conscious it would bore most folk.

maybe memories from the complaints the last time LW was to be closed? Also the electric switching ccntract, shipping forecast and older people using AM (as also with RTE 252).
Perhaps why further work was needed after the last local radio MW shutdown trials with DAB rollout and getting DAB and internet in cars?

I notice there is still an hour a day DRM to Europe from Wooferton but might not last?

People complained about a national evening programme replacing the local and regional evening shows, but they went ahead and did it. People have complained about the closure of BBC Three as a broadcast channel, but they've gone ahead and done it.

Yet whenever anyone complains about the switching off of any AM transmissions, they just seem to back off and leave well alone. Even the notice on the BBC website about the closure of Radio Bristol's AM transmitter at http://www.bbc.co.uk/reception/news/item82 claims they "examined a number of options to keep the medium wave service on air" which, if true, doesn't sound like the action of a broadcaster planning to switch off its AM network.

I wouldn't be bored, it is an interesting discussion, and while I live somewhere where the broadband and 4G is good, I also travel to where it is pitiful. The idea that everyone will change to streaming audio and video is going to require a lot of infrastructure that would have to be funded somehow.

Here in London, one transmitter mast at Crystal Palace provides the radio and television services for almost 12 million people. If that was all to go over to IP, it would be interesting to see how the networks manage.

Still on at lunchtime today I'm told

Does anyone know if there is an announcement on 1260 or is it just regular output?

Normal progs still on 1260 this morning I'm told

Just had to go out in the car again so checked 1260.

It's still on with normal programmes, unless I am getting Wrexham which I think is very unlikely!

I gather from a friend in Bristol that 1548 has gone.

Medium Wave has always been terrible in the Highlands which is why the BBC went straight to VHF FM in the Highlands many years ago. I am sure it would be feasible to fill the gaps using DAB - the Radio Scotland site at Crubenmore would get well down the A9 and across the A86. I came through Glencoe this morning, they seem to have the some of the existing VHF FM sites down for DAB - the police(?) site by Glencoe village would probably get right up the gorge towards Rannoch Moor (I would not be surprised if Crubenmoor got onto Rannoch Moor because there is a radio path from that direction). Oban transmitter would serve a much wider area i it was up at Torosay. There are many places that could really fill in gaps.

Smooth 1260 is still on air as normal. Radio Bristol has finished regular programming has just has a loop playing asking people to retune.

It must be a good 4 or 5 years since I have really listened to AM(MW) for more than 10mns for all the stations I get on AM(MW) are also on DAB.
It must near 15 years since I have listened to LW as I have not had a radio that can tune in to LW since the early 2000. Not that there is much on LW I would listen to anymore.
Used to love going though the AM(MW) band at night back in the 80s and early 90s trying to see what I could pick up.
I still listen to FM at times.

Darren

Can someone please check 990 kHz (Redmoss transmitter) that carries BBc Radio nan Gaidheal.

According to the new Tech Parmaaters, this transmitter has closed. It is no longer listed on the spreadsheet.

Thanks

Delete

Doubt anyone would miss it if it did disappear. Not only is that not a Gaelic heartland area, but its coverage area is pretty much duplicated on FM by 104.2 (Meldrum) and 103.7 (Forfar).

Both outlets from Mangotsfield were abruptly switched off at 0104. The sad end of an era.

Interesting, I wonder if they were switched off remotely from Arqiva's control centre at Emley ?

Very poor effort by Global not to ( apparently) make any mention of the switch off. Rather contemptuous really to treat their listeners like that

Smooth's website hasn't caught up yet: http://www.smoothradio.com/how-to-listen/fm-am/

can receive the following stations to a general decent standard-

smooth- 1332, 1557, 792
5 live- 909, 693
absolute- various
talk sport- various
bbc cambs- 1026
bbc asian- 1449
bbc norfolk- 873
bbc 3 counties- 630

can recieve others but signal quality is up and down and most of time not listenable

was hoping to pull in bbc humberside for the football sometimes but signal is poor here and sound is so quiet as well

Maybe it's an experiment to see what they can get away with. They presumably had the ability to play out adverts for the Bristol area so could have substituted a message for one of the ads. But no-one thought or cared for that. It would have just caused complaints to come in.

Probably best to confuse people!

Indeed. Exactly the same last May when they shut down Manor Farm at Reading ( and Washwater Newbury) as far as I know no mention? Absolute did at least put advance warning on their website, and made on air mentions I think?

All are sadly likely to be shut within 2 years as they are also available on lower cost digital platforms!
Perhaps 5 live and Talksport a bit longer?

It might be later this year Caroline might be back on AM from the Ross Revenge at about 100W? The radio equivalent of heritage Steam railways?
http://licensing.ofcom.org.uk/radio-...ence/timetable

Incredibly poor effort. Disgusting is the word I would use. Funnily enough I was just about to post to say 'is it still on?' 'are we sure it is closing?'

My guess is most listeners will just switch their radios to FM and listen to the first station they come to. Hopefully not a Global one.

Maybe they could have dressed it up as a competition?

Do you live in the Bristol area, and always wanted your own medium wave transmitter in your back garden? Now you could be the envy of your neighbours.........

My French is very poor. When France did its grand switch off, did the stations make an effort to let listeners know what was going on, suggest alternative platforms etc?