The future of RTE Radio 1 LW

L1011 · 12-04-2023 8:15am

Plenty of older companies still use either that or a July to June financial year. I have no idea what RTE use!

The Cush · 12-04-2023 9:37am

RTÉ's financial year is Jan - Dec.

Mickey Mike · 13-04-2023 9:04am

RTE Radio One Long Wave 252 is closing down at 9:00 am in the morning 14/04/23

13-04-2023 9:24am

As I understand it, the whole save 252 campaigns argument for the past decade was that elderly Irish people who moved to the UK in the pre Lemass era are now poor/ill/lonely and their only comfort to remind them of home is listening to RTE on LW. I do find it interesting that previously the print media and Irish charities in the UK supported this campaign but this time they seemed rather fed up with the whole poor/I'll/lonely LW listener argument

13-04-2023 9:24am

As I understand it, the whole save 252 campaigns argument for the past decade was that elderly Irish people who moved to the UK in the pre Lemass era are now poor/ill/lonely and their only comfort to remind them of home is listening to RTE on LW. I do find it interesting that previously the print media and Irish charities in the UK supported this campaign but this time they seemed rather fed up with the whole poor/ill/lonely LW listener argument

Declan A Walsh · 13-04-2023 10:41am

Things have moved on a lot, even in less than 10 years. We are talking about a pretty small category of people in the UK - the elderly Irish diaspora. A lot of elderly people are now using smartphones and with assistance, if required, can access radio, not to mention the various tv platforms available. Of course, if they are in Ireland, there is always FM.

Gerry Wicklow · 13-04-2023 12:44pm

Add to that, if we are talking about those who left in the 50's - 60's to find work, they would be a good age now. How many would still be knocking around? 🤔

Mickey Mike · 13-04-2023 1:17pm

I'm quite surprised they are closing it so early in the morning, I wonder if they will be any tribute to 252 LW? After its ending, LW will be on a loop saying "Radio One no longer broadcast on LW" and to use other alternatives.

13-04-2023 1:30pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120472785#Comment_120472785

Did you email 2rn for the information about closing time and loop?

Mickey Mike · 13-04-2023 1:47pm

No, I heard the time of closure on LW just before 9am, and usually they carry a loop for a time after.

dxhound2005 · 13-04-2023 2:28pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120472921#Comment_120472921

I heard it just before 9 am, and again just before 2 pm. It might be one every hour?

TAFKAlawhec · 13-04-2023 5:49pm

So once 252 kHz from Clarkestown bites the dust very soon, this is the list of the remaining LW broadcast transmitters still running to the best of my knowledge...

153 kHz

* Romania - Antenna Satelor, Brasov, 200kW

* Algeria - Chaine 1, Kenadsa, 2000kW (max)

(Algeria seem to have been recently back on, but seems intermittent and maybe not at full power)

162 kHz

* France - TDF Time Signal, Allouis, 1100kW

(No audio programming on this frequency)

164 kHz

* Mongolia - Radio 1, Ulaanbaatar, 250kW

(ERP maximum 500kW)

171 kHz

* Morocco - Medi 1, Nador, 1600kW

(Reported to be on reduced power. Station no longer advertises this frequency on their website, so how long does this outlet have left?)

189 kHz

* Iceland - RUV Ras 1 & 2, Hellissandur, 100kW

(On reduced power from 300kW max - due to close next year)

198 kHz

* UK - BBC Radio 4, Droitwich, 400kW

* UK - BBC Radio 4, Westerglen, 50kW

* UK - BBC Radio 4, Burghead, 50kW

* UK - BBC Radio 4, Dartford Tunnel, 4W

* Algeria - Chaine 1, Berkaoui, 2000kW

(Algerian output reported as inactive)

207 kHz

* Morocco - SNRT Al-Watania, Azlial Demnate, 400kW

* Italy - AM Italia, Villa Estense, 1kW

(Morocco outlet reported inactive, future uncertain. Italian outlet is for brokered programming & currently not in use)

209 kHz

* Mongolia - Radio 1, Dalanzadgad, 40kW

* Mongolia - Radio 1, Ulgil, 40kW

* Mongolia - Radio 1, Choibalsan, 40kW

(All three stations on reduced power from nominal max of 75kW)

225 kHz

* Poland - Radio Jedynka (Radio 1), Solec Kujawski, 1000kW day 700kW night

227 kHz

* Mongolia - Radio 1, Altay, 40kW

(Above on reduced power from nominal max of 75 kW)

243 kHz

* Denmark - DR Langbolge, Kalundborg, 50kW

(Part time only, ERP 0.1W when not broadcasting)

252 kHz

* Algeria - Chaine 3, Tipaza, 1500kW day, 750kW night

279 kHz

* Turkmenistan - Radio Watan, Ashgabat, ERP?

(Not known if this is still in service, last reports suggest that transmission was faulty with low modulation)

13-04-2023 6:56pm

I wonder who many Danish people are really dependent on the 243 service?

rathfarnhamlad · 13-04-2023 9:31pm

I'd be very surprised if the Danish transmitter on 243 is considered an essential service anymore.

The Algerian 198 mast appears to be still standing according to Google Earth (desktop version).

The Moroccan transmitter (state broadcaster, not Medi 1) has been off the air since 2017 or thereabouts. Apparently a replacement rig was planned but so far has not materialized. Does anyone have the co-ordinates for the transmitter site?

kazoo106 · 13-04-2023 10:11pm

There is a very interesting video feed of an old Pye Radio on the Ulstermux website

https://ulstermux.co.uk/the-team/

rathfarnhamlad · 13-04-2023 10:25pm

Thanks for posting that! Great idea!

However I don't entirely agree with the statement that "after this our old radio will be virtually of no use" - there are other stations on medium & shortwave that they'll be able to listen to for a while yet...

letovo3275 · 14-04-2023 1:26am

Couldn't people just put an old android phone into a plastic radio case and pretend they're listening to LW 252.

Hotblack Desiato · 14-04-2023 9:08am

Broke into Morning Ireland just before the final ad break to say it's closing at 0900 - Tubridy is still going on LW... did they mean 0900GMT?

Hotblack Desiato · 14-04-2023 9:58am

Clearly nobody else is listening anyway 😛

Gerry Wicklow · 14-04-2023 10:17am

Still going at 10:15 although I reckon there's probably more anoraks (all 3 of us 😀) than regular listeners.

Oscarziggy · 14-04-2023 11:00am

11am -- still there ! Must be a belated April Fool joke.

letovo3275 · 14-04-2023 11:04am

Lets start a petition to get it shut down!

Gerry Wicklow · 14-04-2023 11:39am

Perhaps some last minute ministerial intervention? Or maybe an angry, grey haired mob, waving umbrellas and walking sticks, blocking 2RN staff trying to access Summerhill. 🤣

Declan A Walsh · 14-04-2023 12:30pm

Steve Conway wrote an article on Jounal.ie about this.

https://www.thejournal.ie/readme/atlantic-252-steve-conway-longwave-shutdown-6043078-Apr2023/?utm_source=facebook_short&fbclid=IwAR3haEWE_I6nQxBck8d9-14n0jYEbiylRWticVHU-rfWqejQ6V-6N4pbm3k

14-04-2023 12:40pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120476552#Comment_120476552

It would probably get more signatures than the 350 signatures the "postpone 252 closure" one has at the moment.

Declan A Walsh · 14-04-2023 12:47pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120476936#Comment_120476936

All the "postpone 252 closure" petition needed was at least 252 signatures, which they achieved! 😀

Mickey Mike · 14-04-2023 1:36pm

My guess for the delay in switching LW off is probably due to the visit of President Joe Biden.

14-04-2023 1:42pm

I've only noticed from listening today that RTE radio 1 has A LOT of dead air moments

14-04-2023 1:48pm

046-9557350 is the phone number of the transmitter site if anyone wants to phone up and ask when it's closing down

Mickey Mike · 14-04-2023 2:13pm

At 2pm today, they are still announcing the closure of LW 252.

Mickey Mike · 14-04-2023 4:12pm

Tried ringing and its only ringing out, NOBODY HOME.

Gerry Wicklow · 14-04-2023 9:07pm

9PM and still chugging away.

Mickey Mike · 15-04-2023 12:06am

Its gone, at 00:02am RIP 🙏 now on a loop.

Good luck everyone

Apogee · 15-04-2023 12:29am

Shutdown Loop

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfbeaQntg78

webwayz · 15-04-2023 12:34am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120457870#Comment_120457870

Or just before the Director Generals term in office expires!

rathfarnhamlad · 15-04-2023 12:41am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120477861#Comment_120477861

Was it ringing out or just busy? If the latter, then obviously someone was already on the phone to them.

Maybe it was Paul Rusling... 😏

Hotblack Desiato · 15-04-2023 1:05am

Maybe they'll turn it into a numbers station in Irish 😁

Mickey Mike · 15-04-2023 9:07am

Just ringing out.

In England Save long wave group had their petition, first it was get to 200 signatures which they did successfully, then tried to reach 500 signatures but only achieved 363, so the momentum wasn't there this time. Ok I'm off this time 👍

boardsuser1000 · 15-04-2023 11:02am

People are still signing the petition. Do they expect the station to be turned back on or does it mean that people signing the petition never listened to RTE on LW (and therefore unaware that it shut down) but are concerned on behalf of an imaginary group of people that can't use anything other than a LW radio.

15-04-2023 1:23pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120480317#Comment_120480317

It seems to be a group of about 5 people who have created all the noise on this topic over the past decade, using elderly people as a stick to beat their drum

CrabRevolution · 15-04-2023 1:35pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120480317#Comment_120480317

I think their case is further weakened by the fact we've several posters here, experienced in radio, who need to take several steps with their equipment just to actually listen to RTÉ instead of Algeria in Ireland. Yet they claim there's emigrants in the UK who despite being portrayed as not adopting any modern technology, are effortlessly able to tune in to LW 252 on their old radios?

Testcard · 15-04-2023 1:44pm

The real elephant in the room is the massive cost to RTE of maintaining the FM broadcast network. The electricity bill alone to broadcast radio using 80 year old technology must be enormous. I have no idea what ideas are rolling around in Montrose but I am certain the LW Shutdown is a good trial of shutting down the FM network. If a bunch of listeners in Britain can be pushed off traditional radio to save money, the same can be done at home too. I’d say the days of broadcast FM are numbered. Don’t be surprised if the bean counters in Montrose are looking at this and planning to save a few more bucks.

dulpit · 15-04-2023 4:09pm

The latest results show 3.207 million listeners (15+) tune into radio every weekday – that is daily radio listening at 78.3% of all adults. Weekly listening increases to 90.7% of the population.

This is from the latest JNLR survey. I would be astounded if the majority of this number isn't via fm, especially in the car. Smart speakers are great, but have had issues (rte radio has had ongoing issues on Google home devices where they randomly won't play via tunein for a few days). Can't see fm going anywhere any time soon...

JDxtra · 15-04-2023 4:15pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120480800#Comment_120480800

We’re at least 10 years away from any FM shutdown in Ireland. FM is the bread and butter of radio stations here and that won’t change any time soon.

I don’t know how old RTEs FM equipment is, but there are only marginal improvements in efficiency with modern transmitters.

We missed the boat with DAB, that would have been the path forward for broadcasting. It would take a miracle now at this stage to turn it around (i.e. will not happen).

TAFKAlawhec · 15-04-2023 11:47pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120480800#Comment_120480800

Much less "real elephants" and more "seeing pink elephants" in RTÉ looking to close its FM network in Ireland in any reasonable length of outlook.

I've addressed most of that idea in the relevant thread in the Radio forum. No point repeating it here.

But to add, for the UK IMO the four FM networks for the BBC National stations (the situation in Wales regarding Radio 3/Radio Wales excluded) will almost certainly be kept going until at least the early 2030's with two possible caveats - one being the possible closure of some low-powered relay stations carrying the four services on FM where DAB coverage is deemed to equal or exceed that of the FM service area of the relay, and the other being that at least some of the higher powered transmitters might be subject to 3db power reductions, as has already happened at Sutton Coldfield in the English midlands as well as Divis outside Belfast - but to be honest until I found this out I never really noticed it, and I live on the fringe of its main service area. And it is worth remembering that DAB listening has now overtaken FM listening in the UK as a whole.

Given that unlike the BBC, RTÉ has no planned path to DAB then the chances of their FM national networks going beyond the lifetime of the Beeb's is very likely. In fact, I'd be very confident that they'll still be going in 10 years time bar any critical financial crises and/or political meddling. It will eventually happen that it will shut down for good one day, but that day is quite far away.

L1011 · 15-04-2023 11:53pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120479747#Comment_120479747

These days, O'Donnell Abu sounds so dated and odd that it may as well be the interval on a numbers station.

(the specific tones version of it RTE use, that is - an actual performance of it sounds fine; but doesn't really work for the purpose its used for)

16-04-2023 12:21am

Closing LW is sensible cost cutting, I just hope RTE don't spend the saved cash on something foolish. Closing DAB was also very sensible but it's highly questionable to be paying contractors to broadcast on RTE Gold

boardsuser1000 · 16-04-2023 12:28am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120482983#Comment_120482983

Unfortunately it's looking like RTE Gold is the place to put ex 2FM presenters where they can continue to receive an income that most people can only dream of in relation to the work involved.

16-04-2023 12:31am

When did O'Donnell Abu stop being prominent on Radio 1? I'm pretty sure it used to be heard more often than the start of Rising Time as recently as the 00s but maybe I'm imagining it.

L1011 · 16-04-2023 12:38am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120482999#Comment_120482999

I can only remember it as the morning startup tones for my entire life. I'm not particularly young.

The future of RTE Radio 1 LW

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