Irish public broadcaster RTÉ plans to axe Radio 1’s mediumwave service on 24 March. RTÉ believes the transmission cost can no longer be justified, since the content is now available elsewhere. The mediumwave service, on 567 kHz, shares almost all its content with the FM version of Radio 1, except for Sunday religious services and a midweek soccer game. But the decision has been criticised by rural listeners and politicians.
There is to be a public information campaign ahead of the switch-off date. This will highlight the fact that the full Radio 1 mediumwave service will remain available on longwave (252 kHz). It is also available on the Sky Digital platform. RTÉ is also talking to charities about providing subsidised radios for those who don’t have sets with FM or longwave.
The station’s research shows that one in ten radio listeners use the mediumwave version of Radio 1, with the service particularly popular with the elderly and those living in remote areas.
Fine Gael communications spokesman Simon Coveney said shutting down mediumwave transmissions has implications for people in rural parts of the country and at sea. “This is a public service broadcaster and this shouldn’t be abandoned,” he said.
Labour communications and marine spokesman Michael McCarthy said the decision would have the biggest implications for fishermen working 50 or 100 miles off the coast and relying on the broadcasts for weather reports and for farmers.
(Source: Independent.ie)
on Jan 20th, 2008 at 00:04
I would have thought it would make more sense to keep the MW transmissions and dispense with the LW, since more radios have MW than have LW.
on Jan 20th, 2008 at 07:52
LF covers the UK much better than MF and secondly they’ve just invested in DRM for their LF service.
The future of RTE Radio 1 is at LF not MF in the RoI/UK …
on Jan 20th, 2008 at 10:08
Does this mean that the savings on the MW transmitter will be used to boost the signal of the LW transmitter?
on Jan 20th, 2008 at 10:32
The future on am is DRM in the longwave, great groundwave reception.
Does spain got an intact longwave TX??? On 252 khz???
I got a truckbox in my car and DRM is great listning by the groundwave.
on Jan 20th, 2008 at 11:54
re Roy Sandgren’s comment, what’s a truckbox?
I find that FM is no substitute for long and medium waves in certain conditions. Reception on VHF frequencies is problematic in certain rooms in my house even though I live in a reasonably good reception area.
on Jan 20th, 2008 at 12:59
Sunday’s Independent notes that “It is believed the move will save the station up to €1m a year in maintenance costs. RTÉ said the MW technology offered poor value for money, was environmentally unsound and out of date.”
Stephen’s question is a good one. 252 kHz has been operating at reduced power. I don’t know what reception is like on the West Coast of Ireland, but since the transmitter is on the East Coast, compared to the mediumwave transmitter which is in the centre of the country, it may well need to go back to full power.
on Jan 20th, 2008 at 13:55
If there turning Tullamore off, then why did RTE spend lots
of money carrying out a refurbishment of Tullamore
a couple of years ago.
I wonder what will happen with 567 KHz and 612 KHz as
both will be quiet soon.
on Jan 20th, 2008 at 14:57
Spirit Radio will be using 612:
http://blogs.rnw.nl/medianetwork/irish-religious-radio-licence-awarded-to-spirit-radio
on Jan 20th, 2008 at 22:33
I was back in 2004 quite surprised about the reconstruction of the Tullamore transmitter as well. No answers about the purpose of these investments had been found back then if I recall correct. Btw, the Athlone transmitter on 612 kHz had been shut down already in April 2004, and it is understood that it will be demolished while Spirit Radio obviously builds a completely new facility:
http://lists.radiolists.net/pipermail/broadcast/2007-November/063584.html
Re. 252 kHz: It can be run at not more than 300 kW anymore, or have they kept the old 2 x 250 kW Marconi tube transmitters?
http://www.broadcast-transradio.com/html/drm_lw_summerhill.html
on Jan 21st, 2008 at 07:02
… and 675.
on Jan 21st, 2008 at 11:10
Re Alstairs Bowden;
A truckbox is converter to your car radio.Recives all ambands in am or drm. All dab-bands, out 108 MHz on your FM dial.
With an active antenna great reception.
on Jan 21st, 2008 at 14:31
The transmitters on 252 KHz are a pair of 250kw Continentals.
http://tx.mb21.co.uk/features/252/summerhill.shtml
Nice to 612 KHz being used again, I suppose 567 KHz will
go the same way.
on Jan 21st, 2008 at 22:19
I agree with Kai Ludwig that I was very surprised that they bothered investing money in repairing the Tullamore transmitter in 2004. Surely then would have been the time to pull the plug? After all, they managed to persuade the AM listeners to retune to LW at that time which was the hard part.
I am sure that 567 will go to a religious broadcaster in the same way that 612 did. No commercial station would want to launch a long term venture to turn a profit on AM nowadays, and the future success of DRM is still very much in question.
on Jan 23rd, 2008 at 12:19
I get the feeling that 567kHz is running at reduced power at the moment, too.
on Jan 23rd, 2008 at 20:15
Was in England last week. Picked up a rented car at the Airport, No LW on its radio so listened to 567. Stayed in the Oxford area where there was excellent LW reception during the day on 252 but reception was not good at night, interference from an Arab sounding station so had to retune at night to 567.
Why does 252 go on reduced power at night?
What will the impact of DRM be? Will the recetion be extended? Will I be able to pick up the reception on my normal LW radio?
Any reports of 252 reception in Northern, Western and Southern Europe? I have noticed that many radios do not have the LW band these days, including my car radio. How will I listen to the League of Ireland soccer when I am travelling as is frequent on Friday nights?
on Jan 23rd, 2008 at 23:14
Re. Summerhill 252 kHz: OK, so Continental rather than Marconi. But the tx-mb21 photos are history now. I just checked the German version of the Transradio release, and herein they mention that their contract called for a removal of the old equipment as well (”Die Installation des neuen Solid-State-Senders wurde in nur 4 Monaten nach Bestellung bewerkstelligt, inklusive der Abrissarbeiten des alten Senders.”).
on Jan 24th, 2008 at 09:09
Not a lot of radios have LW these days most have MW. It would be better to carry on using 567kHz as it is a good way to get listeners on the UK and update this to DRM-MW transmission.
on Jan 24th, 2008 at 09:21
To answer Paul’s first question, as far as I know 252 reduces power at night to protect Algeria on the same frequency. Here in the Netherlands, since one is more or less due West and the other more or less due South, I can virtually null out either of them by turning the radio 90 degrees
on Jan 24th, 2008 at 12:48
In reply to Kai Ludwig, I have had look around Transradio
website and found the English version of the article.
http://www.broadcast-transradio.com/html/drm_lw_summerhill.html
The replacement transmitters are capable of 300kw for AM use,
hence the reason why the service is running reduced power
compared to Atlantic 252, which ran 500kw.
on Jan 25th, 2008 at 18:46
As perhaps the oldest swinger on this blog and who still often calls the radio the wireless, can someone enlighten me on digital radio?
What is DAB and what is DRM? Are they the one and the same thing? Do we need two different tyes of radio? Why has 252 LW power been reduced from 500 kw to 300 kw? What sort of reception will digital radio have ie would it be like shortwave? If LW is to go digital does that mean RTE1 will move of the LW band as well?
Sorry for all the questions but I still am not coping with the fact that RTE has closed down Athlone a couple of years ago and left short wave as well!
on Jan 28th, 2008 at 10:18
DRM (digitalradiomondiale) is a digital AM radio transmission system that is basically a way of transmitting digital radio signals via MW/LW/SW bands giving near FM quality over large AM distances and improves audio quality and reception.
on Jan 29th, 2008 at 21:07
It was going around some time ago that once 567 kHz is shut down, RTE were going to install a 100-kW DRM transmitter at Tullamore using the same mast. I don\\\’t know if that\\\’s going to happen, now that there\\\’s a rumour that DRM will operate on LF. One also wonders why a refurbishment of the 567kHz AM rig was carried out at such great expense only a few years ago.
on Feb 3rd, 2008 at 00:55
Those of you who are against RTÉ leaving he medium wave band from March can email the station on hearus@rte.ie to let them know your feelings. Or let your local Irish Embassy know as the Departmet of Foreign Affairs have protested the move.
As an avid League of Ireland soccer supporter, who often has to listen to the Friday night matches on 567 in my car, a good German Opel Zafira, whom for some reason feel nobody wants LW and therefore that band is not on the car radio, what am I to do? I have checked a number of local shops and none stocked radios with LW!
Also Northern Ireland nationalists are objecting as many parts of the “fourth green field” cannot get good FM reception as the Brisitish authorities have always objected to RTÉ locating stong transmitters near the border with Northern Ireland because they claim that they would interfere with local BBC transmissions. Northern Ireland nationalists view RTÉ as their national radio and TV service. Looks like RTÉ do not care for them either, just like the millions of Irish around the world when the withdrew the 30 minute a day shortwave news broadcast!
on Feb 8th, 2008 at 19:45
Am always pleased to copy a reasonable signal in SE England on 252khz throughout the year and at most times of day. Have monitored this fequencey for many many years and heard quite a few stations. Nice to now know more about Ireland.
on Feb 17th, 2008 at 14:11
252kHz along south EI coast suffers Algerian interference and selective fading in winter nights.Even early mornings the Algerian in french is strong. Pity 243kHz could not be used. 567KHZ is clobbered by Spainish stations at night. Long wave is still popular throughout Europe so it will be around for a while.DRM should work with more stable LW signals,must be trerrible with constant fading on shortwave.
on Feb 17th, 2008 at 22:10
Des, the poor recetion at night is a result of RTÉ having to turn down strength to 150 KW so not to interfere with Algeria\’s 750 KW strength at night (compared to their 1,500 kw during the day)! It manages to knock out RTÉ throughout Europe from what I understand and have experienced. RTÉ used to be 500 kw during the day but is now only 300 kw.
on Mar 2nd, 2008 at 03:06
RTE Radio One on 252 khz LW is weak S-3 night time (can not hear them in day time) and on 567 khz MW strong late at night S-6 day time weak some some times fair in winter day time , very weak in summer day time.
Last night 729 khz was realy strong between late a night but QRM Spain not shure ? + other station\’s 729 in the day time = BBC Radio Essex
No RTE R 2 on 612 khz are still on air ?
I use a ICOM IC R -70 , antenne is a Dipool arround 6,5 mhz about 4 to 4,5 mtr high horizontal. my ant is very low at the moment i hope to get it much higher later this year ? About 10 mtr would be very nice
My city is Gent between Antwerp and Brugges in East Flanders - Belgium
Danmark is also not any more on 243 khe LW and 1026 khz MW when did the leave the MW dos some on know that ?
Arrow Classic Rock on 675 khz was on air and till 31 jan 08 with a other music formate than on FM when the did leave the MW for good. On the 1 FEB Radio Maria came on air with reli sercive
And on 1.008 khz fromer Radio 10 Gold also only on FM that is also a reli station both in The Netherlands so MW is very sad we loos many pop music staions. The MW is very died i think more and more staions go away very sad not ?
73 from Herman (Gent - Belgium)
on Mar 2nd, 2008 at 03:35
Danmark was not on 1.026 khz but 1.036 khz There is a BBC local station on 1.026 kha so i did make a misstake sorry
Poland is on 225 khz 1.000 kw LW very weak but my ant is to short for LW in the past singnals where much better when i had my L - Wire Ant only 1,5 mtr high but 57 mtr long a 1/4 wave for 190 meter
Czech Republic on 270 khz TX 500 kw LW (?RO 1 - Radiožurnál)
Take a look at this webside for more LW stations http://www.answers.com/topic/longwave?cat=technology
on Mar 2nd, 2008 at 15:52
Denmark, 1062 and 243 khz for sale.
on Mar 15th, 2008 at 11:54
RTE has given these details of the closedown per James Robinson on the uk radio listeners group:
This weekend will see sport on mediumwave and VHF output on longwave during opt-outs from the main service.
From closedown on 567, longwave will then carry the sport opt-outs currently on mediumwave. RTE Europe on Sky will become the longwave service from then.
On 24 March, RTE Radio 1 will be on 567 until 1330.
At this point, there will be a “countdown to the end” so they describe, with a final goodbye to medium wave, until 1500 when the transmitter will be switched off.
on Mar 15th, 2008 at 12:03
Thanks Mike. I was just asking Edward Dunne in Dublin about RTE’s plans less than an hour before you posted this message. Great minds think alike
on Mar 16th, 2008 at 20:39
A great shame I enjoy listening to RTE 1 every morning (here in Leeds) before heading off to work, and listening to sports on the weekend.
Sadly FM or DABS are not an option for picking up RTE and LW is just too hit and miss.
on Mar 16th, 2008 at 22:35
Michael, what do you mean LW is “just too hit and miss”? Reception isn’t reliable or somethings? Generally, LW provides a pretty good coverage comparable to that of MW. Sadly, electosmog limits LW’s usefulness in the city…
on Mar 17th, 2008 at 09:59
My experience of RTE on 252 KHz is that it is a good solid signal throughout
the UK, so there must be something wrong with your radio Martin, as I recall
the 252 KHz signal being solid in the city centre of Leeds as well, infact I
recall it being much better than Droitwich..
It seems to me, most people of moaning for the sake of moaning.
on Mar 17th, 2008 at 11:33
I can never find an email for the writers of this great blog. ALERT: Diaspora TV to be on air by next St. Patrick’s Day - http://url.ie/adx & http://url.ie/ady
252 not solid in Cardiff & Port Talbot south wales last October.
on Mar 17th, 2008 at 15:27
There are areas of the UK where LW252kHz isn’t good, MW 567kHz can be heard in most of the UK day and night and shouldn’t go. Could it be kept and converted to DRM-MW 567kHz and reactivated when DRM receivers take off? That would be more sensible.
on Mar 17th, 2008 at 17:03
I suspect the transmitter on 567 kHz is too old to be converted for DRM. To use DRM they would have to buy a new transmitter, and they can’t afford it. They have tested DRM on 252 kHz. Of course, if Atlantic 252, and its short-lived successor, had not become commercial failures, we wouldn’t be having this discussion.
on Mar 17th, 2008 at 17:37
Here in Bristol 252 is good after 09.00, but during Darkness it is swamped by the Nort African Station and is not possible to listen to it very well. This is using a high quality receiver.
on Mar 17th, 2008 at 17:48
Yes, I can see you would have a problem in Bristol. Here in the Hilversum area we’re fortunate that the Algerian station and RTE are roughly 90 degrees from each other, so with a ferrite rod antenna you can just about null out either one of them and listen to the other. When I was a lad (many decades ago), mediumwave frame aerials were all the rage. I had one, and it worked well. And where did I first discover frame aerials - it was in 1962, in reply to a letter I had sent to Radio Eireann. In those days, their transmitter was just 100 kW on 566 kHz, and they recommended that listeners in the UK use a frame antenna to boost the signal, and null out interference.
on Mar 17th, 2008 at 18:07
That was nice of R.Eireann. Today it’s difficult to believe that a local station would bother with advising a far away listener on a better antenna… Actually, even the international stations don’t provide much technical support anymore.
One of the exceptions is RFA: http://www.rfa.org/english/support/antijamming/ .
I remember in the 1980s RL in Russian used to describe how to construct a similar antenna. Of course, they couldn’t explain it very well on the air, with no pictures to show. Besides, their signal was heavily jammed. So I never managed to construct such an antenna. I’d be curious to know it if’s really working comewhere in China or Cuba…
on Mar 18th, 2008 at 06:25
re DRM 567kHZ what about this plan
RTE get a loan - buy new MW transmitter (get 65% energy efficiencies analogue)
keep 567kHz running as a fall back / DSO analogue parallel
put 252kHz in DRM mode - drive up DRM set ownership - drive down the cost of DRM sets - get 90% energy efficiencies with LW DRM (versus old 2006 TX in analogue)
pay back loan & interest over 3 years with saved energy bills
as well as energy savings, 2 modern AM TX would have massive savings in terms of site personnel as these modern rigs can be monitored /controlled online from anywhere. redeploy site staff to field duties promoting DRM sales / demos.
No. RTÉ are pulling MW and putting the cash into DAB. I’m not joking. Sad really
on Mar 18th, 2008 at 21:32
I suspect the main reason for RTE pulling the MF service is an attempt to save money as they like the BBC will be required to pay for Digital TV switch over, which the European Government in its wisdom chose 2012 has the final date for TV transmissions to be in digital.
Also why shouldn’t RTE invest in DAB, in the end they do operate a selection of radio services, to which Radio 1 is only one.
on Mar 19th, 2008 at 08:23
DAB’s age (1985 demoed as Eureka 147) its mpeg2 lower quality, less spectrum saving than mpeg4, the fact that it has not been a roaring success in the UK France Germany etc. The fact that it is more site intensive than FM or DRM in the VHF band. As we are going at it so late in Ireland we have the option of skipping a few errors and tech cycles and learning from others, no they implement the same, lots of cheap DAB radio sets! Local & national commercial radio in Ireland are not hot on the idea either, in fact the leaders in the market are not in favour, DAB is centrally fed and does exclude the micro and community stations, as can be seen on the Irish trial system. DAB is wrong for Ireland at this time.
on Mar 20th, 2008 at 20:28
I need transmitter A.M. 5 KIL Or 1 KIL receipt PROPOSE To manantial1520@yahoo.com to send photos and state of the apparatus
on Mar 24th, 2008 at 19:53
24th March 2008.
RTÉ Radio 1 Tullamore 567 & RTÉ Radio 1 Cork 719, RIP
on Mar 24th, 2008 at 22:42
RTE have a looped announcement on both 567khz & 729khz asking people to retune to FM, 252 LW, DAB or satellite
on Mar 25th, 2008 at 22:11
Sorry but that should have read RTÉ Radio 1 Cork 729 KHz not 719.
It is interesting now that medium wave is turned off RTÉ mangement have admitted that :
1 That LW power was reduced from 500 kw to 300 kw in 2007. But they wont admit the night time power level - is it 150 kw or 100 kw?
2. That the LW reception is seriously affected at night in the UK - before closure it was much better than mw.
3. That they tried to discuss with Algeria possible night time solutions but Algeria would not agree to cooperate with RTÉ.
3. Irish emigrant groups are now trying to get RTÉ to increase the strength of the LW transmissions. Fat chance considering the lack of interest and respect RTÉ has for the Irish overseas!
on Apr 4th, 2008 at 23:36
I have tried,and tried and tried to get some sort of a signal that would allow me to continue to listen to Radio 1 on a pocket radio,since M/Wave was switched off,but I cannot find a signal that allows to listen to for any lenght of time with any sort of clarity.Out of my4 Radio’s only one can get 87.8 and this is very patchy. I have tried to buy a pocket sized LW radio but cannot find one anywhere in N’Ireland.Come on R.T.E do you no longer want Belfast listeners.?
on Apr 5th, 2008 at 12:25
It might be your picking up something else such as ADSL (Broadband)
which can be a problem for Long Wave and Medium Wave..
I will admit the 252 KHz audio quality is poor, but then Atlantic
252 also had poor audio quality, as is Droitwich.
Also some radios made outside Europe, have poor quality stages
which often ruin the audio quality, especially on Long Wave.
on Apr 23rd, 2008 at 18:19
252 reception is generally not good in Britain,and at night time dissappears,well replaced by an Algieran radio station.Where I am this can not be nulled out since the path is 180 degrees.By switching to MW it was possible to resume reception.
Since MW shut down LW seems worse,signal is way down.