BBC announce closure of 5 Live AM and R4 longwave

That statement about Ireland pretty much giving up AM in 1989 is not true - not then anyway. That was the year that Co. Meath-based Atlantic 252 was launched on longwave, and RTE partially owned it. That station was quite popular around Ireland for a few years. I even heard it played in some shops in its first year or so. By the time it was closed, both Irish audiences and UK audiences (its real target audience) had moved on.

RTE got rid of its MW transmitters some years ago without too much protest and has been edging closer to getting rid of its longwave transmitter (formerly used by Atlantic 252), its last AM link.

As regards 5 Live AM and Radio 4 longwave, there will be some Irish (some of whom would be on Boards) that will be put out by not being able to pick up these stations, for sports and current affairs. They are available on car radios with both AM options (MW and LW) and can be picked up with varying reception, depending on where you are. Not as big, of course, as the potential kick back in the UK.

of course this news matters to Irish users

In fairness to the BBC - you can now download BBC Sounds in Ireland and click on to BBC Radio 5 Live where all football live commentaries are now available in ROI...they are no longer restricted.

Great to have top games commentated by the likes of John Murray, Conor Mc Namara, Pat Nevin Chris Waddle etc

I think this decision was long overdue. I always had the feeling, another crisis, another budget squeeze, and it happens.

Are exact dates known when the MW signal of BBC Radio 5 and the LW signal of BBC Radio 4 will be turned off?

Also, how long would TalkSport and Absolute Radio continue on MW? I'd give them another year after the BBC shuts down the AM signal, and they will go as well. The RTE on 252 will also be next soon, I take it.

It's sad for Ireland, though as in terms of newscasts, the BBC offers a good alternative of reporting.

Talksport are blocked as well except for the Irish opt out on Saturday!

Pointless, and getting proportionally even less support than the 252 petition did.

Its also inaccurate in claiming that 198 has a single transmission site - 198 has three sites.

I wouldn't see any need to close down the Dartford Tunnel transmitter, which is only 4 watts. None of the arguments about cost or availablity of spare parts would apply there. Virgin on 1215 were listed as being in the tunnel as well. It would probably need someone to drive there to find out if it is still on.

Is the BBC Radio 4 LW signal weaker now? It seems they have reduced transmission power in Droitwich?

I would guess for Radio Teleswitch Service one LW transmitter would be enough. And the MW transmitters of Radio 4 would have to go as well soon.

Radio 5 and Talk Sport no longer on MW would be a problem in Ireland, as sports coverage is blocked outside of the UK due to rights restrictions.

Some in ROI will be sorry to see these MW transmitters go.

On a car radio without LW (but having MW with reasonable reception) it was possible to hear BBC R4 on MW to an extent in ROI (beyond any reliable BBC R4 FM range)

720 kHz from Lisnagarvey in NI and to a much smaller extent the 774 from Enniskillen

and around the south coast of Ireland it could be heard on 756

The Radio 4 MW frequencies are now running the closedown loop.

The transmitters closed some time on the morning of April 30. Where I am I can hear BBC Radio Cumbria on 756, day and night. And at night BBC Asian Network on 1449.

This thread brings back memories of trying to listen to midweek matches in the early 90's on Radio 5 in the west of Ireland with Alan Green and Mike Ingham on commentary swapping halfway through the half. With the quality of reception we got you sometimes had to piece together the snippets coming through to figure out what was going on. It many ways though it was far more enjoyable than streaming every minute of every match on HD