BBC Radio Ulster MW closedown

TAFKAlawhec

The BBC’s intention to close MW transmitters was first announced ten years ago in 2011. In 2018 we commenced with these and continued them in 2020 across Scotland, Wales, and England. We are now moving onto the next phase with a further set of closures across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland in May and June 2021.

The stations moving off MW in the next phase are:...

...BBC Radio Ulster and BBC Radio Foyle. Available on 92–95 FM. Also available on all TV platforms (Terrestrial, Satellite, and Cable)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/articles/2021/next-phase-of-changes-to-some-local-bbc-radio-medium-wave-services

So the plan in the next few weeks will be to close down 1341 from Lisnagarvey, 873 from Enniskillen and 792 (inc. Radio Foyle) from Derry.

There's a few small issues I can see. First is that MW has in the past been used to split off to broadcast live GAA & Rugby games - while BBC local radio in England has in some locations broadcast some sports programming only on DAB, separate from FM and MW where available, the DAB broadcasts of BBC Radio Ulster & Foyle have always followed the FM broadcasts. I suspect that the ability to do this is there though.

Second is coverage issues. Despite being at the higher frequency end of the band, the Lisnagarvey transmission has always went out quite well to cover NI and a good bit beyond it. FM coverage OTOH has some patchy areas particularly along the east Antrim coastline north of Larne (where receiving BBC FM services is often better from Scotland, thus no Radio Ulster on FM) while out westwards the town of Castlederg lies outside the coverage areas of both Derry & Brougher Mountain. There are another couple of pockets of poor/no FM reception but are sparsely populated (Glenelly Valley in Tyrone & areas south of lower Lough Erne in Fermanagh stretching from Belleek to Belcoo). DAB is in a worse position again, as BBC Radios Ulster & Foyle are reliant on coverage from the commercial Bauer ensemble - I think official current coverage is only ~87% of the NI population, whilst the BBC National Multiplex is higher (more transmitters in place) at around 92-93%.

There is of course some additional fallback with Freeview (DVB-T) & satellite, but neither are "portable" options, while 'BBC Sounds' will have all available options but then again isn't strictly broadcast.

Glaceon

That will most likely mean the end of the 1930s Blaw-Knox mast at Lisnagarvey. One of the few remaining outside the US.

Antenna

TAFKAlawhec wrote: »

OTOH has some patchy areas particularly along the east Antrim coastline north of Larne (where receiving BBC FM services is often better from Scotland, thus no Radio Ulster on FM)

Maybe putting a directional FM transmitter for Radio Ulster on the Mull-of Kintyre area of Scotland could be a solution for that coastline's blackspots


Also due to close is the 'Penmon' 882 transmitter for BBC Radio Wales in north-west Wales - this will lead to a deterioration in reception of Radio Wales around Dublin for anyone that might want to listen on MW.
http://tx.mb21.co.uk/gallery/gallerypage.php?txid=1467
Interestingly according to the above this site was one of a number in the UK that relayed Radio Eireann on-channel during WWII so as to confuse German aircraft using MW for direction finding (obviously receiving it a distant location and brought to the transmitter by landline).

and BBC Radio Devon also due to close - its 801 is one of the few daytime audible MW signals in the far south of Ireland

CoBo55

Sad to see but realistically how many would be using the MW service now? The last time I used MW was when I had a jap import Toyota with a mw radio.

Declan A Walsh

CoBo55 wrote: »

Sad to see but realistically how many would be using the MW service now? The last time I used MW was when I had a jap import Toyota with a mw radio.

The only MW station that I tune into to any great extent these days is Energy (Power) AM on weekends on 1395 kh (215 metres). I sporadically pick up most BBC stations clearly on FM, including Radio Ulster, when I am in the north-east area. From time to time, I can pick up Radio 1 or Radio 2 or Radio 4 on FM around south Dublin at certain times and certain conditions - usually by accident! I used to be able to pick up Radio 4 on LW in my previous car, but I no longer have LW in my car. I think I could barely pick up Radio 5 (or whatever it's called!) on MW, but I don't go looking for it.

ford fiesta

Declan A Walsh wrote: »

The only MW station that I tune into to any great extent these days is Energy (Power) AM on weekends on 1395 kh (215 metres). I sporadically pick up most BBC stations clearly on FM, including Radio Ulster, when I am in the north-east area. From time to time, I can pick up Radio 1 or Radio 2 or Radio 4 on FM around south Dublin at certain times and certain conditions - usually by accident! I used to be able to pick up Radio 4 on LW in my previous car, but I no longer have LW in my car. I think I could barely pick up Radio 5 (or whatever it's called!) on MW, but I don't go looking for it.

Plenty of MW stations to be received in the Eastern/South Eastern and indeed the Northern Ireland / North Western counties in Ireland, if you have an older car (up to 2010 model) or an older Home receiver !

Not sure about Midlands and Southern/Munster counties.

NorthDown2

I live in a village just outside Ballymena and reception inside the house of the local MUX is poor. So I concerned about the switch off of Lisnagarvey. Tully Quarry has BBC National DAB which gives good indoor reception here, but the local mux is not carried on that tx. Re : rugby commentary - the reason I tune to R Ulster MW, recently if the rugby has been on MW, the Radio Foyle DAB carries the rugby - usually they would just be simulcasting R Ulster so if Foyle listeners are tuning in on DAB they can listen on R Ulster DAB. The big issue of 1341 switch off is the poor coverage of DAB in parts of Ulster. (Not forgetting that the jingle into the news bulletin will need rerecording :" On 92 - 95FM, DAB and online"? .. instead of 1341 Medium Wave!

Antenna

Related story to this:

"Medium wave services carrying Greatest Hits Radio in Lancashire, Manchester and Leeds, plus Magic in Humberside are being switched off."

including 999 kHz (an easy to remember frequency!) which is relatively easily receivable in Dublin and the north-east coast of Ireland, and Manchester 1152 kHz , a switch-off in a major population area

https://radiotoday.co.uk/2021/02/bauer-to-turn-off-four-am-transmitters-in-the-north/

Now running closure looped announcements until this Friday the 30 April

Dipole Keith

Antenna wrote: »

Related story to this:

"Medium wave services carrying Greatest Hits Radio in Lancashire, Manchester and Leeds, plus Magic in Humberside are being switched off."

including 999kHz (an easy to remember frequency!) which is receivable in Dublin and the north east coast

https://radiotoday.co.uk/2021/02/bauer-to-turn-off-four-am-transmitters-in-the-north/

Now running closure looped announcements until this Friday the 30 April

999kHz was always alive in Dublin years ago with Red Rose radio from Preston, great station back in the day.

TAFKAlawhec

The medium wave broadcasts of Radio Ulster (1341, 873) and Radio Foyle (792) are due to end on Thursday week, 6th May.

Will that apply to 5Live on 693 mw and Talksport 1053/1093 mw? I can receive both clearly in the evenings in Sligo!

turbocab

zorro2566 wrote: »

Will that apply to 5Live on 693 mw and Talksport 1053/1093 mw? I can receive both clearly in the evenings in Sligo!

Not yet butits only a matter of time .Well medium wave broadcasting has been around for 100 years now.Not a bad innings

ford fiesta

turbocab wrote: »

zorro2566 wrote: »

Will that apply to 5Live on 693 mw and Talksport 1053/1093 mw? I can receive both clearly in the evenings in Sligo![/QUOTNot yet butits only a matter of time .Well medium wave broadcasting has been around for 100 years now.Not a bad innings

Absolute Radio still on 1215

dxhound2005

TAFKAlawhec wrote: »

The medium wave broadcasts of Radio Ulster (1341, 873) and Radio Foyle (792) are due to end on Thursday week, 6th May.

They are running loops on the three frequencies with retuning information.

Antenna

turbocab wrote: »

Not yet butits only a matter of time .Well medium wave broadcasting has been around for 100 years now.Not a bad innings

with 1341kHz in NI being switched off, would there now be benefit in Energy (Dublin) moving frequency a few steps downwards from 1395 to 1350?

1350 appears to be very quiet on a sensitive receiver at night and will be free from adjacent upper sidebands from 1341 Radio Ulster? (or conversely possibly upsetting anyone who wanted to hear R. Ulster nearby in Dublin by use of 1350 is now not a possible concern)

The current 1395 for Energy on the other hand, for distant listeners during the weekend nights, is affected by Dutch 'LPAM' station running 'a bit' more power than their official power, maybe there is now this opportunity to use a new frequency that is clearer at night than 1395?

turbocab

Antenna wrote: »

with 1341kHz in NI being switched off, would there now be benefit in Energy (Dublin) moving frequency a few steps downwards from 1395 to 1350?

1350 appears to be very quiet on a sensitive receiver at night and will be free from adjacent upper sidebands from 1341 Radio Ulster? (or conversely possibly upsetting anyone who wanted to hear R. Ulster nearby in Dublin by use of 1350 is now not a possible concern)

The current 1395 for Energy on the other hand, for distant listeners during the weekend nights, is affected by Dutch 'LPAM' station running 'a bit' more power than their official power, maybe there is now this opportunity to use a new frequency that is clearer at night than 1395?

Heard an announcement on Energy Am to that effect about 20 mins ago stating that they will be testing shortly on 1350khz as soon as the Ulster signal on 1341 ceases

McGinniesta

810 Radio Scotland and 720 Radio 4 will they remain?

marno21

BBC Radio Wales on 882kHz now has a shutdown announcement. It's not looped like on other BBC services presumably to avoid clashing with Washford 882kHz in 'mush zones'.

No sign of an announcement on Radio Devon on 801kHz which is a strong daytime signal here in Cork. R Ulster (792, 873 and 1341) continue with looped announcements.

dxhound2005

The announcement on 882 is made at 19 and 49 minutes past the hour. There is a continuous loop on 657 for the close down of Radio Wales on that frequency.

marno21

dxhound2005 wrote: »

The announcement on 882 is made at 19 and 49 minutes past the hour. There is a continuous loop on 657 for the close down of Radio Wales on that frequency.

Indeed. The looping announcement from Penmon on 882 shows how well it gets out around the UK on the various SDRs online. It's much less power than Washford but the sea paths are a massive help. The shutdown of the transmitters at Tywyn and Forden some years back also had interruptions to programming rather than continuous loops.

657 has become very redundant over the last few years ever since Radio Wales replaced BBC R3 from Llangollen on 91.1

marno21

The Penmon closure notice is a useful opportunity for anyone who does listen to Radio Wales in Ireland to see if coverage will be affected post 23 June.

At night, in Cork City, Penmon and Washford are 50:50 with the station being unlistenable when there's an announcement playing. In Cork Harbour beside the sea Penmon completely overrules Washford when an announcement is playing. Washford is coastal though so should still put in a decent signal day and night when Penmon closes even with the proposed power reduction from Washford.

marno21

The three Radio Ulster retune loops and the Radio Wales signal from Penmon are off the air since this morning

Antenna

The remaining Radio Wales transmitter on AM, what was the main 882 (Washford) has been reduced in power significantly in the past week (-6dB, in other words a quarter of power of what it was is estimated by some)

marno21

Radio Devon on 801kHz is to shut before the end of August.

https://mediumwave.info/2021/06/29/united-kingdom-80/

One of the few remaining MW outlets receivable during the day on the South Coast as Antenna pointed out.

tinytobe

Just wondering, but did BBC Radio Ulster have a good amount of listeners on AM in the Republic of Ireland?

I only noticed that Talksports on AM is being regularly listened to in the Republic.

marno21

Radio Devon on 801kHz is now on a retune loop. It's going out with a whimper though with very low modulation.

Another strong station along the south coast gone.

marno21

Radio Devon on 801kHz has shut down now and the frequency is dead in Cork. Presumably the 990kHz signal from South Devon has also been switched off.

Tax The Farmers

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117638038#Comment_117638038

In the border counties perhaps but further south 1341 was only ever receivable at "anorak" quality. I'd tune in the very odd time in Dublin although 94.5 MHz (via cable leakage) was generally far better.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117638038#Comment_117638038

Not sure about the border counties, but I've never heard of anyone listening to BBC R Ulster. Mostly only ever hear of people tuning into R4 or sometimes R2. R6 Music gets a bit of a following online.

waywill1966

I’m sure Hugo Duncan (is he still on it) gets a lot of listeners in rural border areas!