Irish public broadcaster RTÉ will carry a special programme at 1330-1500 UTC on Easter Monday 24 March, to mark the closure of its mediumwave service after 82 years.
For Medium Wave Goodbye, which will be broadcast on all wavelengths, on the Internet and on RTÉ’s digital radio trial service, Brendan Balfe has assembled a nostalgic programme highlighting some of his favourite moments on Irish radio. Brendan promises an entertaining and fascinating 90 minutes of memories of a service which has brought the world into homes all over the country since 1926, capturing moments of history and life through decades of news, sport, features and entertainment. The programme includes archive audio of request programmes, pop and trad music, features, documentaries and commentaries.
(Source: RTÉ website)
Related stories:
- RTÉ plans to switch off mediumwave on 24 March
- Irish Emigrant Advice Network opposes RTÉ mediumwave closure
on Mar 19th, 2008 at 18:35
Well - - RTÉ haven’t listened to all the reasons why the MW service should be retained, at least for another aix months or so. Such a shame.
I worry for the people who live on their own in the more remote parts of the country who may not be able to receive the RTÉ Radio 1 FM signal (and whose radios don’t have Long Wave included in them) and those Irish exiles living in Europe who find that they have better reception from the MW than the LW transmitter which shares the frequency 252 KHz with Algeria.
If anyone is to present the special “Medium Wave Goodbye” programme, Brendan Balfe is the man for the job!
on Mar 19th, 2008 at 22:45
Driving through Wales this evening I was tuned into 252Khz and it’s surprising how (after the power change which seems to take place around 6pm) invasive the Algerian station really is. Surely the International agreement applies to the Algerians as much as it does to the Irish and they should reduce power appropriately to prevent undue interference? If it causes reception problems in Wales - the nearest nation to Ireland - then there really is no hope elsewhere in the UK or Europe!!
on Mar 25th, 2008 at 16:29
According to the EMWG Algeria reduces power from 1500kw to 750kw at night. The power reductions are made so that there is no nightime interference in Ireland, not Wales.
The Medium Wave Goodbye programme is now available on Listen Again:
http://www.rte.ie/radio1/specials/1193939.html
on Mar 25th, 2008 at 21:15
3dB power reduction on medium wave wont make much of difference
other than save on the electricity bill.
on Mar 26th, 2008 at 10:24
I would have upgraded 567kHzMW to DRM after closedown, done some transmission tests in DRM Stereo at 150kW power and signed a deal with Himalaya to provide at very reasonable cost their excellent DRM2009 receiver to listeners in the NI/RoI and UK at a NOT unreasonable £79.99(and equivalent in Euros for RoI) so people in the UK/NI/RoI and some parts of Western Europe can carry on listening to RTE Radio One in better quality Digital Radio Mondiale stereo format. Once a good number of listeners have receivers I would restart full transmissions.
on Mar 26th, 2008 at 22:24
RTE has made a quick, and therefore, unwise decision!.