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The future of RTE Radio 1 LW

The Cush

Announced this morning - http://www.rte.ie/about/en/press-office/press-releases/2014/0923/645685-rte-radio-1-moves-from-longwave-transmission/

http://www.rte.ie/radio1/static/2014/0821/638554-stay-tuned/
http://static.rasset.ie/documents/radio1/rte-radio-1-staytuned.pdf

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Mickey Mike

Quackster wrote: »

While it's a step in the right direction, it doesn't go far enough IMO. A DAB replacement service must cover all of NI (or at least all of it that's not adequately covered by FM).

And if UK-wide DAB is a non-runner, then the service should be on Freeview if possible - that shouldn't be prohibitively expensive, should it?

Even putting in place a few infill FM transmitters in the north and a few here in the south should bring about full coverage, and hopefully hear the end of it. I agree with freeview coverage in the UK.

The Parish Priest.

This

Quackster

While it's a step in the right direction, it doesn't go far enough IMO. A DAB replacement service must cover all of NI (or at least all of it that's not adequately covered by FM).

And if UK-wide DAB is a non-runner, then the service should be on Freeview if possible - that shouldn't be prohibitively expensive, should it?

[Deleted User]

gordongekko wrote: »

Dab will be pushed through eventually. The government will want to sell off the fm spectrum to telecos

It's only 20 MHz of low-frequency spectrum. It's not very useful for mobile use.

gordongekko

Dab will be pushed through eventually. The government will want to sell off the fm spectrum to telecos

Mickey Mike

I congratulate RTE on their digital adventure in the UK targeting the most of the Irish people in the bigger centers on a DABplus format. Outside of these areas they can stick up a satellite dish for a once off payment. We are perfectly happy with FM in Ireland and DAB should be scrapped altogether here. We have it all on Saorview. Hope the mini muxes works out in the UK. The plug will be pulled on LW 252 for sure in June 2019.

Former Former

Gerry Wicklow wrote: »

No fear of them extending the service to the saps who pay for it through their licence fee, namely the people who live outside Dublin 4.

The problem with DAB is that no one, in Dublin 4 or elsewhere, wants it.

RTE would shut it down tomorrow if they could. They would be mad to invest more money into it.

kazoo106

I dont get all this at all. 87.8 is poor in Belfast city centre. RTE always make a point of being inclusive. What is required is a duplication of the 3rock frequencies (88.5, 90.7 and 92.9) from Divis or Black Mountain.
Then there is the North Antrim problem where only 252 is available. Omagh and Enniskillen are also not great on FM with Truskmore, Clermont Carn and Hollywell hill not cutting the mustard.

marno21

Karsini wrote: »

Are there really many parts of the country where you can't get Radio 1?

There are places alright.

I would say there are few places where mono reception can't be achieved with an external antenna but there are plenty of places where good reception is an issue. Plenty of towns around the country with these kind of issues

[Deleted User]

galtee boy wrote: »

Can't get DAB is what I meant.

Ah right.

galtee boy

Karsini wrote: »

Are there really many parts of the country where you can't get Radio 1?

Can't get DAB is what I meant.

[Deleted User]

Are there really many parts of the country where you can't get Radio 1?

galtee boy

Gerry Wicklow wrote: »

No fear of them extending the service to the saps who pay for it through their licence fee, namely the people who live outside Dublin 4.

Totally agree, people in London, Manchester, Leeds etc will have RTE on DAB and the micks in the sticks here who pay the licence fee can't get it !

Gerry Wicklow

No fear of them extending the service to the saps who pay for it through their licence fee, namely the people who live outside Dublin 4.

[Deleted User]

That still means people have to buy new radios when old radios do the job fine, but the point being that people receive RTE and without having to have an internet subscription which I'm highly against so that's at least some progress........not a perfect solution by any means , RTE are hell bent on destroying MW and LW RTE transmissions.

If I were RTE I'd sell the transmitters to whoever would be interested and there are always someone interested be they religious services or not.

The Cush

Press release from the DFA - https://www.dfa.ie/news-and-media/press-releases/press-release-archive/2017/march/minister-mchugh-rté-irish-in-britain/

A Consultative Group comprised of RTÉ, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the umbrella organisation Irish in Britain and representatives of Irish community in Britain has today issued a statement of agreed recommendations in respect of RTÉ’s Longwave radio service. The service will now continue until closure by June 2019 and in preparation, RTÉ plan to launch a replacement service on DAB+ digital radio.

Summary Recommendations

• RTÉ plan to launch a service on DAB+ digital radio modelled from RTÉ Radio 1 and to work with stakeholders to maintain contact with the Irish community in Britain. Details of this service are still being worked out but it is likely to include a limited amount of new targeted programming commissioned for audiences in Britain. As a terrestrial radio service this is subject to regulatory approval in the U.K.

• The broadcast will be transmitted via a chain of small broadcast networks which cover main urban centres. This is where the majority of RTÉ Longwave listeners live. In line with research findings as to preferred medium, this network will provide a conventional radio experience with sets from as little as £30. The transmission cost will be considerably less (approx one fifth) than the present quarter of a million per annum that RTÉ expends in running costs for Long Wave 252.

• As the new service is being established, RTÉ Longwave will continue to be broadcast. It will close by the end of June 2019. The Consultative Group notes that longwave radio does not have a long-term future but welcomes the extension of the RTE Longwave service for a total of four and a half years beyond its original planned closure.

• RTÉ, Irish in Britain and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (via the Emigrant Support Programme) have undertaken to co-operate on communications and digital awareness measures and on outreach to older members of the Irish community in Britain to ensure they can continue to access the much valued RTÉ Radio services and other relevant digital services.

• RTÉ Radio 1 will remain available in the UK on the RTÉ Radio player, the Irish Radioplayer and Sky, FreeSat and Virgin TV services.

• The Consultative Group thanks all of its members and the organisations they represent for their constructive involvement and good faith.

Looks like the replacement service won't be available nationwide but via Ofcom's small scale DAB multiplexes (currently trial muxes) in urban areas only, similar to the Niocast Digital mux in Manchester which RTÉ had planned to launch on back in late 2015 and now back on for launch this year - http://www.niocast.com/. The service will be subject to regulatory approval in the UK.

Small scale DAB in the UK
https://www.ofcom.org.uk/about-ofcom/latest/media/media-releases/2016/local-radio-revolution
https://www.ofcom.org.uk/about-ofcom/latest/features-and-news/small-scale-dab

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/manage-your-licence/radio-broadcast-licensing/look-up-radio-station-details/small-scale-dab-trial-coverage-maps
https://www.ofcom.org.uk/research-and-data/tv-radio-and-on-demand/radio-research/small-scale-dab-final-report

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/about-ofcom/latest/media/media-releases/2015/60-dab-trials
https://www.ofcom.org.uk/consultations-and-statements/category-2/small-scale-dab

SPDUB

The Irish Post is reporting that the service will be on air til at least 2019

http://irishpost.co.uk/rte-longwave-252-set-continue-least-2019-positive-talks/

Irish community representative Tony Corcoran told The Irish Post: “....It won’t be shut off within the next two years, I can definitely tell you that.

....“Minister McHugh’s recent comments were the best indication that longwave 252 isn’t going anywhere for the immediate future.”
”
....The sentiment was reiterated in a statement issued by RTÉ, who would not deny that the service is set to continue through 2017 and 2018.
”

dxhound2005

The latest I read was from the Seanad debate on 2 Feb 2017. It said that the consultative group were to meet in London this week.

https://www.kildarestreet.com/sendebates/?id=2017-02-02a.8&s=speaker%3A479#g14

While any decision on the future of long wave services in Britain is ultimately an operational matter for RTE, it can, as a result of the study, now be informed by awareness of the role that the service plays in preserving and enhancing links with Ireland and keeping our people in Britain informed of important events and developments, such as the UK’s vote to leave the European Union and the Irish Government’s position. A meeting of the consultative group will take place in London next week in order to discuss the next steps, explore possible ways forward In the context of maintaining the link with audiences in Britain, and of keeping the Irish community involved in decision-making. I am hopeful that a positive outcome can be achieved.

Mickey Mike

RTE had shevled plans to close LW 252 on the 1st of may, this was on the 02/10/16. On the 10/10/16 they announced its clourse again sometime in 2017, no date confirmed. What is the real truth?

Mickey Mike

The days of Long Wave radio I'm afraid are numbered and no commercial radio will spend the money to run these big transmitters. The signal from 252 is only average, can you imagine if that TX was run to its max on 261 khz it would be marvellous, but they ain't gonna do it.

The Cush

4 band radio wrote: »

Apparently some UK broadcasting act says that ofcom are not allowed give a radio licence to a publicly funded broadcaster and thats the simple reason way RTE on dab in manchester never happened.

Appears to be happening again, the RTÉ logo together with "Coming in 2017" is back up on the Niocast Digital website - http://www.niocast.com/

The Cush

Karsini wrote: »

There's some hope that the Athlone TX site will be preserved. Would love to get a tour of there.

Just in relation to the Athlone site, attached to this post is an FoI document about the heritage project - http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057674736

[Deleted User]

Fuzzy Clam wrote: »

They did DRM for a while. I think they tested at various times during the daytime and nighttime.
Reception was not great at the fringes of the signal.

I reckon the older transmitters, like the Marconi in Athlone will be preserved.

252 when it does shut down may still have a resale value. But maybe not a buyer.

DRM is great when the signal is good and when the station uses decent bitrates and not 16 Kbps.

DRM really does shine on SW, especially in high noise areas. Once the signal is good DRm is great. Yes most people have internet today but I really think it's a mistake to rely only on the Internet and FM and it is nice to take a small portable radio sometimes and not have to be in a WiFi area or use your poxy phone to receive stations.

[Deleted User]

Yes I would also love a tour, I spent many hours listening to Atlantic 252 on an old Philips transistor, when there was decent music, however, I would also think that if , but highly unlikely, a commercial station wanted to use any of the sites that they could do so, at least it would keep them alive.

Fuzzy Clam

Deleted User wrote:

They had plans to close both MW and LW, why they upgraded LW to DRM and not transmit in digital , at least some of the time is beyond me seems like a lot of wasted money. LW would be gone now only they thought no one would have noticed or cared.

Deleted User wrote:

I do hope these transmitters will be preserved for historical purposes and not demolished like they're doing to most of the transmitters being shut down all over Europe.

Deleted User wrote:

It would be really great if someone could buy the transmitters and sites for a commercial radio station, someone other than RTE.

They did DRM for a while. I think they tested at various times during the daytime and nighttime.
Reception was not great at the fringes of the signal.

I reckon the older transmitters, like the Marconi in Athlone will be preserved.

252 when it does shut down may still have a resale value. But maybe not a buyer.

[Deleted User]

Deleted User wrote: »

They had plans to close both MW and LW, why they upgraded LW to DRM and not transmit in digital , at least some of the time is beyond me seems like a lot of wasted money. LW would be gone now only they thought no one would have noticed or cared.

I do hope these transmitters will be preserved for historical purposes and not demolished like they're doing to most of the transmitters being shut down all over Europe.

It would be really great if someone could buy the transmitters and sites for a commercial radio station, someone other than RTE.

There's some hope that the Athlone TX site will be preserved. Would love to get a tour of there.

[Deleted User]

They had plans to close both MW and LW, why they upgraded LW to DRM and not transmit in digital , at least some of the time is beyond me seems like a lot of wasted money. LW would be gone now only they thought no one would have noticed or cared.

I do hope these transmitters will be preserved for historical purposes and not demolished like they're doing to most of the transmitters being shut down all over Europe.

It would be really great if someone could buy the transmitters and sites for a commercial radio station, someone other than RTE.

Mickey Mike

Yes it was the old valve transmitter which was commissioned in 1975, became worn out and expensive to run. Like I said RTE should have installed a new solid state TX especially after carrying out maintenance on the mast. Did they know what they were doing at all?

[Deleted User]

Was the Mw transmitter using valves and did they die , was that the reason for shutting it down ?

252 was even upgraded to DRM yet they couldn't be arsed transmitting in DRM .

I'd say if they had their way all transmitters would be shut down and everyone would be streaming at horrible 56 Kbps Mp3 !!!

Mickey Mike

It would be a better job to activate MW 567 from Tullamore again. I could never understand why RTE shut off MW. They carried out major refurbishment on the mast in 2004 and then abandoned it in 2008. They should have installed a new solid state transmitter and keep it going.