[North_Sea FM]

I can only think of a few BBC local stations that have switched off thier MW transmitters over the years: -

Radio Northampton 1107Khz
Radio Nottingham 1521Khz
Radio Oxford 1485Khz (now classic gold in Hampshire)
Radio Hereford & Worcester 819Khz
Radio Shropshire 756Khz (now Radio Maldwyn)
Radio Gloucestershire 603Khz (was Cheltenham Radio)

Can anyone name anymore, or suggest any other stations they think should close down using Medium Wave?

[Inkblot]

Originally Posted by North_Sea FM

I can only think of a few BBC local stations that have switched off thier MW transmitters over the years: -

Radio Northampton 1107Khz
Radio Nottingham 1521Khz
Radio Oxford 1485Khz (now classic gold in Hampshire)
Radio Hereford & Worcester 819Khz
Radio Shropshire 756Khz (now Radio Maldwyn)
Radio Gloucestershire 603Khz (was Cheltenham Radio)

Can anyone name anymore, or suggest any other stations they think should close down using Medium Wave?

BBC Radio Hereford and Worcester still has two MW frequencies I believe.

BBC Radio London lost its MW transmitter ages ago - its frequency is now used by Sunrise Radio.

[North_Sea FM]

Originally Posted by Inkblot

BBC Radio Hereford and Worcester still has two MW frequencies I believe.

You're right, they still use 738, but closed the Hereford relay on 819 some time ago. I think BBC Hereford & Worcester took over Radio Shropshire's Ludlow relay on 1584?

[youtalkcrap]

You 'll be able to add the whole of the Capital Gold networks tx's to this list soon. Aren't they due to go Digital?

[broonale]

BBC Radio Cleveland 1548khz FM Only and has been for a while.

[MikeBr]

Originally Posted by youtalkcrap

You 'll be able to add the whole of the Capital Gold networks tx's to this list soon. Aren't they due to go Digital?

Their strategy document, as opposed to the newspaper stories before it was released, makes no mention of them closing AM frequencies, merely encouraging listeners to use digital for their new Capital Gold/Life station. In any case if they did go off AM Ofcom would just readvertise the licence.

Commercial stations include KCBC in Kettering.

Mellow 1557 in tendering, now Dream 100 on FM.

Cheltenham Radio aka Boss 603 in Cheltenham, now CAT FM.

Radio 1170 in High Wycombe, now Swan FM.


So there's still a bit of scope for development on medium wave in these areas, probably for access radio.

[North_Sea FM]

Originally Posted by Arthur Grainger

Commercial stations include

KCBC in Kettering.
Mellow 1557 in tendering, now Dream 100 on FM.
Cheltenham Radio aka Boss 603 in Cheltenham, now CAT FM.
Radio 1170 in High Wycombe, now Swan FM.

KCBC is now Connect FM on 107.4 & 97.2

CAT FM, has been a Star station for a while now.

1170, which became 107 Swan FM, are now Mix 107.

[g jones]

BBC GMR 1458 now capital gold Manchester although started out as another commercial broadcaster.

RTE 2 612 & 1278

[barnacle]

Originally Posted by North_Sea FM

I can only think of a few BBC local stations that have switched off thier MW transmitters over the years: -

Radio Northampton 1107Khz
Radio Nottingham 1521Khz
Radio Oxford 1485Khz (now classic gold in Hampshire)
Radio Hereford & Worcester 819Khz
Radio Shropshire 756Khz (now Radio Maldwyn)
Radio Gloucestershire 603Khz (was Cheltenham Radio)

Can anyone name anymore, or suggest any other stations they think should close down using Medium Wave?

Radio Kent on 1035 khz
Radio Leiceter on 837 khz (now asian network)
BBC WM on 1458/828 khz (as above)
Radio Manchester 1458 (now Capital Gold)

As to stations with too many AM channels, I think BBC Essex could close some of their AM TX'S, 1530 khz is adequately served by 95.3 FM, but I feel Manningtree on 729khz would need to be converted to FM as reception in parts of Manningtree and Harwich is poor and not helped by having BBC Radio Suffolk on the Same mast 0.4 mhz away from the main BBC Essex FM frequency.

[MikeBr]

Originally Posted by barnacle

As to stations with too many AM channels, I think BBC Essex could close some of their AM TX'S, 1530 khz is adequately served by 95.3 FM, but I feel Manningtree on 729khz would need to be converted to FM as reception in parts of Manningtree and Harwich is poor and not helped by having BBC Radio Suffolk on the Same mast 0.4 mhz away from the main BBC Essex FM frequency.

Scroll down this page and you will see that 1530 was one of the AM channels Ofcom were looking at when they started their Radio Review
http://medianetwork.blogspot.com/200...k_archive.html

They subsequently decided just to licence AM for community radio.

[PDMB]

In Northern Ireland: -

Townland Radio (828 kHz) & Hertbeat (1521kHz) closed several years ago.

On top of the Capital Gold relays I can see the Classic Gold relays in areas where there are very poor listening figures closing in the not too distance future. I am surprised that 1521 asn't been turned off already. I suspect it is still not worth the cost...even now, when all it is doing is relaying the London DAB service, and carrying a few local ads.

Community radio is probably the way forward for AM.

[kiwi]

I thought that a long time ago the BBC were to lose most of their MW frequencies as long as their FM ouput is adequate to cover the intended broadcast area.Except for a few listed in this thread I don't think this has happened to a large amount.For example,my local BBC station was meant to have its' MW frequency handed over to a local service and invitations were offered to get the frequency and rumors had it that Radio SAM(Sam standing for Surrey A M)had had been awarded the licence but the BBC still have the channel and the signal is diabolical and is drowned out by Manx Radio....funny that!

[|||Jerusalem|||]

Originally Posted by PDMB

On top of the Capital Gold relays I can see the Classic Gold relays in areas where there are very poor listening figures closing in the not too distance future. I am surprised that 1521 asn't been turned off already. I suspect it is still not worth the cost...even now, when all it is doing is relaying the London DAB service, and carrying a few local ads.

latest rajar: reach = 1.0%, share 0.8%. the share was 0.3% a few months ago so it seems the only way was up!

[redcar1]

The obvious ones, Radio 2 and Radio 3 don't seem to have been mentioned yet!

I still don't really know why Radio Cleveland lost its 1548kHz AM frequency as nothing has taken it over, which is what usually happens when a BBC station relinquishes an MF transmitter. Radio Newcastle still has 1458kHz and Radio York 666kHz.

As for excessive MW transmitters, I can't understand why Fresh Radio (Yorkshire Dales) has a transmitter (1413kHz) for Richmond when the signal from the main transmitter at Hawes (936kHz) always seems perfectly good there.

[Toxteth O'Grady]

Originally Posted by barnacle

Radio Kent on 1035 khz

Which went to Country 1035, probably one of the least successful Independent Radio stations ever!

[Mark C]

Originally Posted by North_Sea FM

KCBC is now Connect FM on 107.4 & 97.2

CAT FM, has been a Star station for a while now.

1170, which became 107 Swan FM, are now Mix 107.

Isle of Wight Radio ditched 1242kHz in 1998 and moved to 107/102 FM

Virgin Radio dropped 1224 relays and moved to 1260.

[barnacle]

Originally Posted by Arthur Grainger

Virgin Radio dropped 1224 relays and moved to 1260.

Our Virgin transmitter moved from 1224 to 1233 khz.

I remember listening to the tests on 1215 but as soon as both frequencies were o0n it was difficult to listen as both signals were interfering with each other causing a lisping sound.

I noticed a similar effect when listening to Liberty Radio on 963/972 am in the overlap area of their 2 transmitters.

would have been better if they had just moved the 963 khz tx to a clear channel.

[Martin Phillp]

Originally Posted by Arthur Grainger

Radio 1170 in High Wycombe, now Swan FM.

Ahem, Mix 107!

[Inkblot]

Originally Posted by barnacle

I noticed a similar effect when listening to Liberty Radio on 963/972 am in the overlap area of their 2 transmitters.

would have been better if they had just moved the 963 khz tx to a clear channel.

963/972 now used by Club Asia, and the other day the two adjacent frequencies were carrying different programming, causing even more of the "lisping" effect. Must have been a fault at the 963 kHz transmitter as that was playing continuous music while 972 was running normal programmes.

[kev]

BBC Radio Nottingham on 1521 disappeared years ago. (Still has 1584 for Clipstone).

1458 Manchester was Lite AM for a while, before becomming Capital Gold.

[ALAN306]

Originally Posted by kev

BBC Radio Nottingham on 1521 disappeared years ago. (Still has 1584 for Clipstone).

1458 Manchester was Lite AM for a while, before becomming Capital Gold.

IIRC it was BIG 1458 Manchester too before Capital Gold

[robmanchester]

Originally Posted by ALAN306

IIRC it was BIG 1458 Manchester too before Capital Gold

You're right - it started off as fortune, then became Lite AM before TWG relaunched the station as Big 1458 in 2000

[ney]

Radio Scotland and BBC Radio Wales still broadcast on FM/MW as for a small part of the day they split into two. Theres not many local radio station on MW in my area just Forth 2 1548, Tay AM 1161 that dont have a good signal at night. Tay AM is also on 1584 but I cant pick that up in my area. I also can pick up Clyde 2 1152 but thats not really for my area and late at night the signal dont seem as good. Theres really no stations on MW down past Radio Scotland on 810. From 535MW-810MW theres no radio here just the odd foreign station that you may pick up after dark. After Virgin Radio on 1215 theres really nothing on MW apart from the odd foreign station and maybe a very odd once in a while an RSL untill you get to Forth 2 on 1548.

Darren