Will BBC Radio 4 LW survive the digital switchover in the UK?

serendip

There are manoeuvrings around turning off analogue radio stations in the UK around 2015.

Question: Is BBC Radio 4 LW part of the switch off?

I can't seem to find information either online or on the boards.

Thanks

LordSutch

Good question serendip, I sincerely hope Radio 4 LW is retained, as its the only way to receive it here in the car.

mike65

198 LW has been a bugbear for the BBC years since, they'd love to pull it but know the outcry from France, Ireland, and the Low Countries would be huge.

tbh

serendip wrote: »

There are manoeuvrings around turning off analogue radio stations in the UK around 2015.

Question: Is BBC Radio 4 LW part of the switch off?

I can't seem to find information either online or on the boards.

Thanks

ok, don't quote me on this, cause I can't find a link, but I seem to remember about a year or two ago, Ofcom in the UK had a consultancy period which dealt with the big switch. The Beeb at that point said that they were going to wait until 2011 (that's very clear in my otherwise hazy memory) before deciding what they were going to do with LW/MW. They wanted to see how great the takeup of new techs like wifi was.

craoltoir

Maybe AM (inc. LW) will have a new lease of life with DRM.

decies

As far as i know its FM that they are switching off ,and the tories said this morning that the switch off would DEPEND on the take up of DAB in uk.Basically they wont rush into it.Theres no way they would touch LW Radio 4,not too mention all the test match special listeners

Onthe3rdDay

It's probably safe for another good few years. The last time they tried to make changes to it there were protests on the streets.

Hopefully by the time it's dropped there will be other ways to listen to Radio 4 in Ireland especially on the move.

The listening figures for Radio 4 and BBC radio 5 must be pretty high in the republic. Almost everyone I know listens to one or the other in the car from time to time.

LordSutch

Onthe3rdDay wrote: »

The listening figures for Radio 4 and BBC radio 5 must be pretty high in the republic. Almost everyone I know listens to one or the other in the car from time to time.

Sadly, both the MW & LW reception 'in my car' is crap

bob50

Camelot wrote: »

Sadly, both the MW & LW reception 'in my car' is crap

My car is the same On Radio 4 though i dont think the BBC will switch of lw beacuse this station gives the shipping forecast for all the British Isles including here and the fishermen wouldnt be able to hear it unless they have very modern radios

Dan Dare

bob50 wrote: »

My car is the same On Radio 4 though i dont think the BBC will switch of lw beacuse this station gives the shipping forecast for all the British Isles including here and the fishermen wouldnt be able to hear it unless they have very modern radios

That is a very good point. I am addicted to Radio 4

cml387

It's so true about R4 now being unobtainable in modern cars, I guess due to all the electronics now fitted.