DS Forums

 
 

RTE Long Wave 252 reprieve ?


Reply
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old 02-10-2016, 17:58
oscar1
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Back of beyond
Posts: 1,929

http://www.independent.ie/business/m...-35096216.html

Regards
oscar1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Please sign in or register to remove this advertisement.
Old 02-10-2016, 19:40
Vectorsum
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Future EU Scottish Republic
Posts: 821
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.
Vectorsum is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-10-2016, 20:31
oscar1
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Back of beyond
Posts: 1,929
One of the local farmers here started using a piece of machinery that generated wideband crud, putting the kybosh on listening in via LW.
Give OFCOM a call ---- be a nice trip out for them !!
Regards
oscar1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-10-2016, 20:43
hanssolo
Forum Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 13,572
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?
hanssolo is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 02-10-2016, 22:24
Gerry1
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,436
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.
Gerry1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-10-2016, 00:23
Colin_London
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Essex
Posts: 3,858
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.
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.
Colin_London is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-10-2016, 07:21
derk weasel
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Nr Cambridge
Posts: 924
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.
yes if its on 261 it might actually survive even longer as it will more likely be listened to by more people as you will actually be able to hear it
derk weasel is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-10-2016, 07:49
hanssolo
Forum Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 13,572
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?
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.
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.
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.
hanssolo is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 03-10-2016, 08:52
Colin_London
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Essex
Posts: 3,858
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.
I thought an 'external service' was meant to convey your countries viewpoint to the rest of the world - to influence.

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?
Colin_London is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-10-2016, 08:59
swb1964
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 2,448
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...
swb1964 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-10-2016, 09:01
hanssolo
Forum Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 13,572
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.
hanssolo is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 03-10-2016, 09:07
Craig Kelly
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Glasgow
Posts: 1,545
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.
Craig Kelly is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-10-2016, 10:29
swb1964
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 2,448
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.
swb1964 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-10-2016, 11:05
Ennerjee
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: London
Posts: 4,453
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?
Or they might ask the EU to pay for it in order to broadcast EU propaganda into the UK post BREXIT !
Ennerjee is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-10-2016, 11:14
Vectorsum
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Future EU Scottish Republic
Posts: 821
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.
Correct. Here in the Hebrides it's about S4.5 compared to the next strongest AM signal Limavady, at about S3. Previously it was S7-8 here so sub-50kW sounds about right. If they ran Clarkstown at the full rated 300/100kW rather than whatever it is set at now, it would be a different story in most of England+Wales and Scotland.

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?
From the RTÉ Public Service Statement 2015, p4, para 1 (pdf):

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.
Vectorsum is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-10-2016, 12:42
Sid Law
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: East Perthshire
Posts: 1,593

Tullamore 567 was still being listened to up till switch off in 2008, for example. -.
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.
Sid Law is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-10-2016, 13:51
PhilipS
Forum Member
 
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 456
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.
I don't think it was that old - Tullamore only replaced Athlone in the seventies IIRC, which then switched to transmitting RTE Radio 2 on 612. Compare that to Droitwich which has been there since the thirties. (see multiple threads about the cost of maintenance there )

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.
PhilipS is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-10-2016, 13:59
Gerry1
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,436
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.
Gerry1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-10-2016, 14:14
Vectorsum
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Future EU Scottish Republic
Posts: 821
This thread on boards.ie explains a bit of the background.
Vectorsum is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-10-2016, 14:19
swb1964
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 2,448
Looking at this from the other end, I take it Algeria has no plans to close their 252 transmitter?
swb1964 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-10-2016, 14:30
MikeBr
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Herts
Posts: 6,184
Looking at this from the other end, I take it Algeria has no plans to close their 252 transmitter?
Algeria has recently replaced it's 1970's longwave transmitter with a new one.
MikeBr is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-10-2016, 14:34
swb1964
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 2,448
Algeria has recently replaced it's 1970's longwave transmitter with a new one.
That's interesting. So in North Africa at least, long wave ain't going anywhere....
swb1964 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-10-2016, 16:01
Chris_Hulse1
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Stourbridge
Posts: 153
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!
Chris_Hulse1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-10-2016, 16:23
lundavra
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 25,462
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.
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).
lundavra is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-10-2016, 16:41
oscar1
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Back of beyond
Posts: 1,929
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).
51 Plate Citroen Xsara Picasso diesel original radio and aerial .
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
oscar1 is offline   Reply With Quote
 
Reply



Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

 
Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 23:45.