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Home»Broadcasting»End of an era for BBC despite Long Wave reprieve

End of an era for BBC despite Long Wave reprieve

15 March 2024

Sunday 31st March marks the end of an era, when the BBC will cease broadcasting a separate Long Wave schedule. Your TV becomes a universal way of receiving former Long Wave only programmes.

  • BBC moves Long Wave programmes to other stations
  • But for some homes, the TV will provide the only way to continue listening
  • Changes occurring despite Long Wave signal staying on air for longer than anticipated.

Schedules released by the BBC this week confirm the Sunday midday Shipping Forecast on 31st March will become the last Long Wave only opt-out from Radio 4. From Monday 1st April, the BBC will broadcast a single Radio 4 schedule, across all frequencies and digital platforms.

But the Long Wave transmitter in Droitwich (pictured above) won’t fall silent just yet. The energy industry, which relies on the BBC carrying the Economy 7 teleswitching signal on BBC Radio 4 LW, has negotiated an extension of broadcasts. There are still nearly a million homes and businesses reliant on older meters that use the teleswitching signal.

What’s happening to former Long Wave only programmes?

Programmes previously only broadcast on Long Wave have new homes on the BBC.

On Monday 1st April, The Daily Service makes its debut on BBC Radio 4 Extra. Yesterday in Parliament will follow once Parliament returns from its recess.

Test Match Special has already said goodbye to Long Wave, and will now be exclusively broadcast on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra.

The BBC is also making changes to the Shipping Forecast starting 1st April, with fewer daily broadcasts. They’ll be carried on all remaining BBC Radio 4 outlets. HM Coastguard will continue to broadcast more frequent Shipping and Inshore Forecasts to mariners via NAVTEX.

TV platforms provide universal coverage

While the Long Wave signal has been able to reach every corner of the UK and beyond, the alternatives haven’t. The BBC’s DAB digital radio multiplex has slightly less overall coverage than its Freeview TV multiplex. And there are areas where the FM signal is weak. Meanwhile, some parts of the UK continue to endure patchy fixed-line broadband and mobile coverage for reception of programmes via BBC Sounds.

The broadcast platforms with the highest technical reach are Sky (satellite), Freesat and then Freeview. This means for some homes, their TV will become the most reliable way of accessing BBC Radio 4, Radio 4 Extra and Radio 5 Sports Extra.

For listeners in Northern France and the Benelux countries, former Long Wave programmes can be heard via via satellite TV and online.


BBC Radio 4 Extra

For Yesterday in Parliament (extended edition) and Daily Service from April 2024:

  • Digital Radio: DAB VHF channel 12B
  • Online/Smart Speakers: BBC Sounds
  • TV: Freeview and Freesat channel 708. Sky satellite channel 0126 and Virgin Media UK channel 910. [Sky Glass/Stream: BBC stations are streamed via BBC Sounds]

BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

For Cricket:

  • Digital Radio: DAB VHF channel 12B
  • Online/Smart Speakers: BBC Sounds
  • TV: Freeview and Freesat channel 706. Sky satellite channel 0131 and Virgin Media UK channel 908. [Sky Glass/Stream: BBC stations are streamed via BBC Sounds]

Changes despite delay to Long Wave switch-off

The BBC first confirmed the changes by slipping out an announcement last Spring Bank Holiday. At the time, it said the changes would take place “from March 2024” in anticipation of the Long Wave (LW) signal being turned off.

In making this decision, the BBC pushed the blame across to transmitter operator Arqiva – the unnamed third party mentioned in an associated BBC blog post.

At the time, the BBC declined to name the exact date of the end of the 198kHz LW signal. It was widely expected the LW signal would end around the 31st March 2024, when the Radio Teleswitching Service (RTS) for older Economy 7 electricity meters was also due to end.

Energy industry secure extension of Long Wave signal

At the beginning of 2024, energy regulator Ofgem updated its website to confirm the “BBC radio service that supports RTS” would now end in March 2025. Then, on 1st March 2024, industry body Energy UK announced the LW signal would continue to be broadcast until 30th June 2025, a date that Ofgem now also quotes in its information to consumers.

The energy industry still has to move 900,000 homes and business from older equipment reliant on the teleswitching service. Anyone wanting to benefit from tariffs like Economy 7 will now need a smart meter. Energy UK has told suppliers not to leave upgrades to the last minute, indicating a further extension is not expected. The equipment used to broadcast the LW signal is near end of life.

The LW service is broadcast from three transmitters in the UK: Droitwich, Burghead and Westerglen, with the last two providing coverage in Scotland and parts of Northern Ireland. Industry sources say Scotland has the highest proportion of meters that still use the teleswitching service.

BBC reaction

The BBC initially declined to comment on the latest developments. However, on 21st March, the BBC confirmed it would be closing Radio 4’s Medium Wave network on 15th April. The network serves locations including London, Northern Ireland, North East and South West England where the LW 198kHz signal isn’t strong enough, or affected by co-channel interference from the three transmitters broadcasting the R4 LW signal.

It still hasn’t commented on the LW service itself. The uncertainty over the exact end date of LW – now that the BBC does not operate its own transmitter network – will have forced the broadcaster to plan an orderly closure of its LW schedule ahead of the signal actually being turned off.

Meanwhile, the BBC has also not disclosed when it will discontinue the separate BBC Radio 4 LW channel on Sky, Freesat and Virgin Media. The separate channel becomes technically redundant on 1st April when LW will become a permanent FM simulcast.


Marc Thornham

[Image: LW TX site with M5 sign for Droitwich, Google Street View]

Updated: 21/03/2024 11:53


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