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RTE Long Wave 252 reprieve ? |
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#1 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Back of beyond
Posts: 1,927
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RTE Long Wave 252 reprieve ?
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#2 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Future EU Scottish Republic
Posts: 820
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Good news, 252 is easily the strongest AM signal here in the Hebrides and most times a good listen although I did have to resort to FreeSat channel 750 yesterday for the All Ireland footy final replay (bad luck again, Mayo). One of the local farmers here started using a piece of machinery that generated wideband crud, putting the kybosh on listening in via LW.
If RTÉ are going to keep it on they could do better with the programming than just simulcasting Radio 1. The service has been saved by the influence of the expats, and that should be reflected in the output on LW. They should consider an external service 'lite', who knows they could maybe even make it self-sustaining by having fundraising drives, ŕ la the various religious stations like Premier, UCB and in Ireland itself, Spirit. |
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#3 |
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Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Back of beyond
Posts: 1,927
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Quote:
One of the local farmers here started using a piece of machinery that generated wideband crud, putting the kybosh on listening in via LW.
Regards |
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#4 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 13,569
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It says it is neither keeping or closing 252 just having a review. RTE did say they would only keep 252 on if the Irish Government paid for it, so might be trying to get the Irish Government to pay?
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#5 |
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Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,436
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If they keep it they should nudge it along to 261kHz, a spare channel which no-one else will ever use. Sort out the paperwork later !
If they stay on 252kHz they'll have the worst of both worlds, operating and maintenance costs but an often inaudible channel that's swamped by interference from Algeria. |
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#6 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Essex
Posts: 3,858
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Quote:
If they keep it they should nudge it along to 261kHz, a spare channel which no-one else will ever use. Sort out the paperwork later !
If they stay on 252kHz they'll have the worst of both worlds, operating and maintenance costs but an often inaudible channel that's swamped by interference from Algeria. |
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#7 |
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Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Nr Cambridge
Posts: 924
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Quote:
Indeed - all I can hear on 252 is Algeria. It is pointless keeping RTE Radio 1 on that channel if the intention is to serve people in the UK.
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#8 |
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Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 13,569
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No European government will go against the ITU and as mentioned in another thread German commercial radio have not formally released 261. Even if they had, will take several months for RTE to request it and they dont have the money anyway. The figure of €250k PA running cuts for 252 seems low and will probably be higher? Quote:
They should consider an external service 'lite', who knows they could maybe even make it self-sustaining by having fundraising drives, ŕ la the various religious stations like Premier, UCB and in Ireland itself, Spirit.
Quote:
A spokesperson added that there is now no specific date for the termination of the service. However, it is understood there remains an ongoing risk as regards its long-term viability. RTE has argued that transition to better quality, more sustainable digital alternatives, is essential in the longer term. There are an estimated 600,000 Irish-born immigrants living in the UK.
Offically the RTE website still says it is closing in 2017.http://www.rte.ie/news/2014/1219/667931-rte-longwave/ The Irish Government have not offered any extra money saying RTE should pay for 252 as an external service. It's a lot of money to be raised for by a public fundraising drive which probably will not be able to be done. |
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#9 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Essex
Posts: 3,858
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Quote:
No European government will go against the ITU and as mentioned in another thread German commercial radio have not formally released 261. Even if they had, will take several months for RTE to request it and they dont have the money anyway.
The figure of €250k PA running cuts for 252 seems low and will probably be higher? So far RTE say they cant afford it with cuts looming due to a fall in TV ad rates and say the Irish in the UK should go online or get satellite digital sets to carry on listening. Offically the RTE website still says it is closing in 2017. http://www.rte.ie/news/2014/1219/667931-rte-longwave/ The Irish Government have not offered any extra money saying RTE should pay for 252 as an external service. It's a lot of money to be raised for by a public fundraising drive which probably will not be able to be done. It sounds like the purpose of keeping 252 is very different - to provide elderly Irish Citizens with a support service. Does RTE even have a remit to provide an external service? |
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#10 |
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Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 2,446
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With 252 on such low power , "elderly Irish citizens" in London won't be able to hear it anyway. Heck those in Birmingham will do well to get it...
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#11 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 13,569
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252 replaced 576 which was providing the function of programmes for the Irish in the UK. RTE now say digital methods are the way forward to met the function.
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#12 |
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Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Glasgow
Posts: 1,544
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RTE on 252 LW is running at such low output power the coverage area in the UK is very limited. Estimates have it at 30-50 kW EMRP. The transmitter is probably on its lowest output power possible.
Nothing like the original Atlantic 252 on 400 kW. If RTE were doing that now, then that is an entirely different service into the UK. |
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#13 |
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Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 2,446
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The most likely people to "benefit" from this are the Irish communities of Liverpool and Manchester and those in the North who can't get RTE on FM.
I put the word benefit in inverted commas because I'm not sure delaying the inevitable is good thing. |
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#14 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: London
Posts: 4,450
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Quote:
RTE did say they would only keep 252 on if the Irish Government paid for it, so might be trying to get the Irish Government to pay?
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#15 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Future EU Scottish Republic
Posts: 820
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Quote:
RTE on 252 LW is running at such low output power the coverage area in the UK is very limited...Nothing like the original Atlantic 252 on 400 kW. If RTE were doing that now, then that is an entirely different service into the UK.
Quote:
I thought an 'external service' was meant to convey your countries viewpoint to the rest of the world - to influence...Does RTE even have a remit to provide an external service?
RTÉ is a not-for-profit national media organisation which exists to serve the Irish people and Irish communities abroad.... An external service along the lines of the BBC WS, acting at least until recently as the mouthpiece of the UK Foreign Office, would be incongruous in a country with a principle of neutrality. Besides which, RTÉ are increasingly the exception to the rule in Europe, in that they are still a broadcaster rather than just a publisher of other folk's content. In its most fundamental sense RTÉ's remit was to alleviate the isolation experienced by most of rural Ireland up until very recently; Tullamore 567 was still being listened to up till switch off in 2008, for example. A service to the UK diaspora would be a pretty straightforward continuation of that mission. On the financial side any saving from a closure of 252 would be a couple of million Euro tops, a small fraction of the overall shortfall of EUR 20 million on RTÉ's budget. Notwithstanding that, a new funding model should be found, if for no other reason than to keep it safe from the 12-year-olds within the organisation that won't even publish the details of LW on RTÉ's Ways to Listen page. |
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#16 |
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: East Perthshire
Posts: 1,591
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Quote:
Tullamore 567 was still being listened to up till switch off in 2008, for example. -. Was it that the mw mast/tx at Tullamore were getting on a bit and that the much younger kit for 252 was available and a cheaper option than upgrading Tullamore. |
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#17 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 456
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Quote:
Why was Radio 1 switched to LW?
Was it that the mw mast/tx at Tullamore were getting on a bit and that the much younger kit for 252 was available and a cheaper option than upgrading Tullamore. )But they didn't need both 567 and 252, and 252 covered a wider area, so I guess the change made sense. It also isn't simply a matter of covering the UK, however good an idea that may or may not be: 252 does also carry alternative programming from time to time. As DAB is very limited in Ireland (Dublin, the North East, Limerick and Cork) they can't just shift it there. I've not heard what RTE's proposals would be for dealing with that split. |
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#18 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,436
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They need to stop moping and dozing, and to change their mindset significantly.
If it's not going dark, start the application for 261kHz right now (surely that can't cost much?), turn the wick right up and start promoting the RoI as a tourist destination for the UK general public (not just the Irish expats), the way that Caroline North did wonders for the IoM. Bang the drum, have a few competitions to win some sponsored holidays, put the country on the map. Appoint a buccaneer with a bit of verve (a new O'Rahilly or O'Leary) and see what happens ! It might be its swansong or it might be a new beginning, but anything is better than this sad twilight that's achieving almost nothing. |
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#19 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Future EU Scottish Republic
Posts: 820
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This thread on boards.ie explains a bit of the background.
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#20 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 2,446
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Looking at this from the other end, I take it Algeria has no plans to close their 252 transmitter?
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#21 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Herts
Posts: 6,183
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Quote:
Looking at this from the other end, I take it Algeria has no plans to close their 252 transmitter?
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#22 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 2,446
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Quote:
Algeria has recently replaced it's 1970's longwave transmitter with a new one.
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#23 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Stourbridge
Posts: 153
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Atlantic 252 used 500Kw by day,it's signal was everywhere,i don't remember hearing any other station on that frequency interfering back then,it was rock solid!
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#24 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 25,455
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Quote:
They need to stop moping and dozing, and to change their mindset significantly.
If it's not going dark, start the application for 261kHz right now (surely that can't cost much?), turn the wick right up and start promoting the RoI as a tourist destination for the UK general public (not just the Irish expats), the way that Caroline North did wonders for the IoM. Bang the drum, have a few competitions to win some sponsored holidays, put the country on the map. Appoint a buccaneer with a bit of verve (a new O'Rahilly or O'Leary) and see what happens ! It might be its swansong or it might be a new beginning, but anything is better than this sad twilight that's achieving almost nothing. |
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#25 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Back of beyond
Posts: 1,927
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Quote:
Who is going to notice, most people never listen on Long Wave and many do not even have a Long Wave radio (or know how to select it). I have many years experience in radio but have to think hard how to get Long Wave on my car radio (and usually give up anyway because of the poor quality).
Select "BAND" to MW ,preset 1= 198khz BBC, preset 2 = 252khz RTE,preset3= 1368khz Manx Radio all load and clear . Suggest a new radio or aerial ...... Regards |
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