The future of RTE Radio 1 LW

dxhound2005

According to this list they are. But there is no chance of hearing them here.

http://www.mwlist.org/mwlist_quick_and_easy.php?area=2&kHz=279

rathfarnhamlad

dxhound2005 wrote: »

According to this list they are. But there is no chance of hearing them here.

http://www.mwlist.org/mwlist_quick_and_easy.php?area=2&kHz=279

Thanks for clarifying. I haven't found them yet on any SDR.

dxhound2005

There are some people on a mission to try to get some modulation.

https://ratzer.at/rails/active_storage/disk/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaDdDRG9JYTJWNVNTSWhlbnA2WjJGb056QXhiWE50TW1oMlpXd3hiV0Y2ZW1KaWVIUTFPUVk2QmtWVU9oQmthWE53YjNOcGRHbHZia2tpVldsdWJHbHVaVHNnWm1sc1pXNWhiV1U5SWsxdmJtZHZiR2xoWDB4WFgwUkxPRTlMTG5Ca1ppSTdJR1pwYkdWdVlXMWxLajFWVkVZdE9DY25UVzl1WjI5c2FXRmZURmRmUkVzNFQwc3VjR1JtQmpzR1ZEb1JZMjl1ZEdWdWRGOTBlWEJsU1NJVVlYQndiR2xqWVhScGIyNHZjR1JtQmpzR1ZBPT0iLCJleHAiOiIyMDIxLTA1LTAxVDIwOjE2OjM3LjAxN1oiLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2tleSJ9fQ==--ba17d909f83f8e5d0673a6e77aae962322e6b781/Mongolia_LW_DK8OK.pdf?content_type=application%2Fpdf&disposition=inline%3B+filename%3D%22Mongolia_LW_DK8OK.pdf%22%3B+filename%2A%3DUTF-8%27%27Mongolia_LW_DK8OK.pdf

rathfarnhamlad

rathfarnhamlad wrote: »

IMO RTE as an organization has been in freefall mode for more than a decade. 567 gone, 252 going any day now, so many of the greats have left or been effectively forced to leave. All this talk of licence fee increases & for what? Less services & even more pi55 poor programming & content?

That being said I do like the Ronan Collins & John Creedon shows. 2 guys who really know their stuff on music & can communicate with their audiences very well. Sometimes I put on Lyric FM in the car or when I'm doing some work in the garage. Otherwise I could easily live without RTE radio, especially 2FM - that station is getting worse & worse by the minute.

As for RTE television, the only time I'd watch that would be for a live event like sport. That's been the case for years now.

Lastly, you know you're running out of ideas when a shows "special guest star" is a member of staff or a presenter from a different show. There really is something rotten in the state of Donnybrook!

Dee Forbes will get her license fee increase, but what she really wants is reform of the license and I know they will abolish the license and take it from the property tax again penalising People who own their own homes because they'll increase this tax to compensate. But I doubt even a hundred million a year extra could save RTE from self destruction.

RTE is just the Governments Propaganda machine anyway and in my opinion no longer fit for purpose and it's really sad because it used to be a public broadcaster you could actually be proud of that served the interests of the Public but with the digital age they are no longer relevant with their Agendas and liberalism + political correctness.

Dee Forbes knows that a lot of People are copping on that the license adds are no longer scaring people as they have woken up to the fact that not paying your license is not a criminal offence and if you end up in court you ask for a Garry Doyle order and that will be the end of that pretty quickly, to cut a long story short this went to the high court and the order was created in the high court basically These inspector thugs can not trespass onto your private property invading your privacy. RTE/BAI are criminals themselves the way they try force People to pay with their scare tactics and adds misinforming not paying your TV license is a criminal offence.

Hotblack Desiato

Deleted User wrote: »

RTE is just the Governments Propaganda machine anyway and in my opinion no longer fit for purpose and it's really sad because it used to be a public broadcaster you could actually be proud of that served the interests of the Public but with the digital age they are no longer relevant with their Agendas and liberalism + political correctness.

:rolleyes:

TAFKAlawhec

rathfarnhamlad wrote: »

Agreed. I presume the mast will be going too at some point which is a pity considering it's one of only a few Blaw-Knox towers outside of the US & has been standing since 1936. Irrelevant to all but anoraks but still...

To the best of my knowledge, the decapitated Blau-Knox tower at Lisnagarvey is used to presently radiate BBC Radio Ulster on 1341 kHz and Radio 4 (Long Wave service) on 720 kHz - the other three services (Radio 5 Live on 909 kHz, TalkSport on 1089 kHz and Absolute Radio on 1215 kHz) are radiated from a more common T-aerial slung between two freestanding towers.

It's not surprising that Radio Ulster (& Radio Foyle) is closing down its MW transmissions given that there are very few places in NI that can't receive at least a satisfactory mono FM signal of the station - I think it's something like 6-7k people in a population of >1.8 million - that keeping a 100kW burner going is hard to justify, not to mention the 1kW station at Enniskillen that I've long felt was a waste given that reception of 1341 kHz in Enniskillen's reception area was pretty much decent even as far west as Belleek. What will be interesting is how Radio Ulster will handle the odd MW opt-outs in its schedule, which in recent years has been limited to covering GAA & rugby games.

As for the masts themselves, if they have no "reason for existing" once their broadcasting life ends, then unless they have some person on group to fund their maintenance then ultimately they will come down, especially if there is a risk to other buildings or people nearby from a lack of maintenance. Once all of MW goes from Lisnagarvey I can see Arqiva selling the land on - the site already is surrounded by a lot of commercial developments just off the M1 outside Lisburn and it wouldn't be difficult to find a buyer for the land it's on IMO.

Hotblack Desiato

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

:rolleyes:

lol seriously, they were a lot better many years ago than they are today. Hard to believe I know

TAFKAlawhec

dxhound2005 wrote: »

This is what is on Long Wave at present.

153 Romania.
171 Morocco
189 Iceland
198 UK
207 Iceland
225 Poland
234 Luxembourg
243 Denmark (very restricted hours)
252 Ireland and Algeria
270 Czechia

rathfarnhamlad wrote: »

Are the Mongolian LW transmitters still on the air? What about Turkmenistan on 279?

I think the Czech station is going this year

It's hard to get much concrete information about the 279 kHz transmission from Asghabat in Turkmenistan - none of the online SDRs I've noticed are located close enough to receive even the sign of a carrier there, and recent reports have stated that the modulation levels are very low. The guys on MW List have the station still listed and they are usually quick to update their database when a station open/closes, so I'd assume for the time being it is still standing as the last LW TX going in the former USSR.

As for the fate of the remaining LW transmitters in Europe, it's inevitable that RTL on 234 kHz will close in the near future (it's already reportedly running on reduced power), while the fate of BBC Radio 4 on 198 kHz will mostly depend, believe it or not, on the roll out of electrical smart metres in GB as it carries timing signals for some electric metres to listen out to switch for different rates (including the infamous Economy 7) - IIRC the contract for keeping this system going has been extended to at least the end of 2023 as the smart meter rollout has fallen behind (it was already doing so prior to the current pandemic). Czechia Radio are themselves in a process of winding down their MW & LW transmissions. Otherwise, RAS Iceland were planning to roll out some low-mid powered MW transmissions to replace their two frequencies on LW, but they seem to have rolled back on it as the test transmissions on 666 kHz seem to have ended and therefore the LW transmissions stay for the time being. Antenna Satelor Romania on 153 kHz & Chaine 3 Algeria on 252 kHz are probably good for a few more years while Medi 1 Morocco 171 kHz & Radio 1 Poland on 225 kHz could keep going on some years themselves but at the same time I wouldn't be surprised if they were terminated at short notice either.

rathfarnhamlad

TAFKAlawhec wrote: »

It's hard to get much concrete information about the 279 kHz transmission from Asghabat in Turkmenistan - none of the online SDRs I've noticed are located close enough to receive even the sign of a carrier there, and recent reports have stated that the modulation levels are very low. The guys on MW List have the station still listed and they are usually quick to update their database when a station open/closes, so I'd assume for the time being it is still standing as the last LW TX going in the former USSR.

As for the fate of the remaining LW transmitters in Europe, it's inevitable that RTL on 234 kHz will close in the near future (it's already reportedly running on reduced power), while the fate of BBC Radio 4 on 198 kHz will mostly depend, believe it or not, on the roll out of electrical smart metres in GB as it carries timing signals for some electric metres to listen out to switch for different rates (including the infamous Economy 7) - IIRC the contract for keeping this system going has been extended to at least the end of 2023 as the smart meter rollout has fallen behind (it was already doing so prior to the current pandemic). Czechia Radio are themselves in a process of winding down their MW & LW transmissions. Otherwise, RAS Iceland were planning to roll out some low-mid powered MW transmissions to replace their two frequencies on LW, but they seem to have rolled back on it as the test transmissions on 666 kHz seem to have ended and therefore the LW transmissions stay for the time being. Antenna Satelor Romania on 153 kHz & Chaine 3 Algeria on 252 kHz are probably good for a few more years while Medi 1 Morocco 171 kHz & Radio 1 Poland on 225 kHz could keep going on some years themselves but at the same time I wouldn't be surprised if they were terminated at short notice either.

Thanks for the info.

I too haven't been able to locate any web SDR able to pick up Turkmenistan, or any of the Mongolian LW signals for that matter. If Turkmenistan 279 does close then that's good for the upcoming Isle of Man station as they will have a clear channel </sarcasm>.

After Europe 1 & RMC Info ceased broadcasting on LW I thought that RTL would follow suit pretty quickly but thankfully it's still there for now. Enjoy it while it lasts I guess. I tuned into it the other night & heard some Pink Floyd - nice! Decent strong signal & good sound through my old PYE radio, which incidentally was manufactured in a plant that was demolished about 20 years ago to make way for something new & exciting. Who knows what will replace the Dundrum Town Centre when it's reason for existing is no more?

Once or twice I have gotten a usable (just about) signal from the Czech transmitter since early 2014 when the power was dialled way down to its current level.

The Polish station, as far as I am aware, is used to carry the national parliament coverage. I think there was talk a few years back of that programming going to FM & then closing LW. More recently I have read that there is new programming on that transmitter directed at Belarus.

I have caught the Romanian station late at night a few times playing some folky music.

I still haven't been able to pick up the elusive (Dutch?) pirate that broadcasts only extremely intermittently on 261...

Mickey Mike

RTE have a DRM compatible 300kW transmitter at Summerhill since July 2007
Is it even possible to buy a DRM radio? that seems to be the problem in Europe, so that was a waste of time from the get go.

Mickey Mike

Mickey Mike wrote: »

RTE have a DRM compatible 300kW transmitter at Summerhill since July 2007
Is it even possible to buy a DRM radio? that seems to be the problem in Europe, so that was a waste of time from the get go.

You can buy a DRM radio online or use an SDR and external software or check out the many online Kiwi SDRs that can decode DRM.

Sound quality is woeful on the majority of transmissions that use older AAC codec at around 10-16 Kbps, it really is terrible and analogue is vastly better.

Listening to radio Kuwait in stereo however is pretty amazing on Short Wave.

Also listening to RCI from China with just 30 Kw can be a pretty stable signal and is amazing how good it can be with just 30 Kw.

DMR is a missed opportunity for Europe as many DAB transmissions proved to offer much inferior geographical coverage.

The newer xHE-AAC codec is supposed to offer much better sound quality but I have not heard a station broadcast using this yet, Radio Marti is testing this out every day but can't here it here due to interference from stronger stations.

The E.U makes some foolish decisons, Diesel being a big one, so too is the Elimination of AM radio.

In India, new cars come with DMR. There's no reason this can't be done in Europe too. No reason RTE can't have some programming in DMR no reason they can't import DMR radios. I suppose they feel if an app can do it then it's good enough, lets tear down the transmitters.

Mickey Mike

Tear down AM transmitters, yes for sure, now that DAB is got rid of and they don't want to hear of it again, the same applies to DRM, its a no no. I don't think they are keen on keeping FM going into the distance future either, if RTE had a choice they'd stop that too. We'll be listening to radio via the saorview platform and online.
Once when countries start closing FM, you can be sure RTE will get on the switch off bandwagon.

I don't think we should rely on the internet for everything we do, imagine the consequences if some internet blackout occurred ?

FM is going nowhere in Ireland for a long time.

rathfarnhamlad

Deleted User wrote: »

I don't think we should rely on the internet for everything we do, imagine the consequences if some internet blackout occurred ?

This happened in the US fairly recently when a construction worker dragged a JCB bucket through a fibre optic cable.

Deleted User wrote: »

FM is going nowhere in Ireland for a long time.

Totally agree, nor should it.

L1011

Mickey Mike wrote: »

RTE have a DRM compatible 300kW transmitter at Summerhill since July 2007
Is it even possible to buy a DRM radio? that seems to be the problem in Europe, so that was a waste of time from the get go.

You could buy them when RTE did a trial. I did.

But virtually nobody else did. The product was dead on arrival.

You can be sure very few were aware of the DRM trials or even that the radios existed. Probably no add campaign either to make People aware of it. I certainly don't remember any mention of DRM at the time.

dxhound2005

Deleted User wrote: »

The E.U makes some foolish decisons, Diesel being a big one, so too is the Elimination of AM radio.

Also straight bananas.

TAFKAlawhec

Digital Radio Mondiale is essentially a dead duck in the developed world. Within Europe the near future of audio broadcasting is essentially lying in FM, DAB+ and online distribution (depending on country/broadcaster). Elsewhere DRM30, with the exception of India, have been limited to the shortwave bands, more as an experiment than any serious broadcast - China Radio International being the most prominent.

The big problem with DRM30 is that at modes using a TX bandwidth of 10kHz or less, the resultant bitrate is not great. If you think some of the DAB stations broadcast in the UK don't sound good, the DRM30 broadcasts will present something else entirely. WRT India, the chances I've had to monitor the MW DRM transmissions from All India Radio have them provide a "multiplex" of two audio services whose bitrate are <10 kbps each, and yes they sound poor - certainly not a good example of the technology. Using "double" channel bandwidths of 18 or 20kHz can potentially deliver a much better bitrate for a service or services, but I don't recall anyone doing such broadcast tests ever since DRM30 started nearly two decades ago.

With respect to it, DRM appears to me to be more of a solution looking for a problem to at least the same extent if not more so than DAB ever was.

Compared to analogue DRM sounds woeful and there's really no advantage. However, the newer xHE-AAC is supposed to be a lot better but I haven't heard any DRM transmissions using xHE-AAC yet.

I could see the attraction to digital Shortwave if the sound quality was a lot better, a lot of the digital age folk might appreciate it more than the sound on AM analogue.

Hotblack Desiato

Deleted User wrote: »

The E.U makes some foolish decisons, Diesel being a big one, so too is the Elimination of AM radio.

The shortsighted incentivisation of diseasel cars here was nothing to do with the EU - thank the Green Party for that one.

AM radio isn't either but I suppose if you have something set up as the bogeyman you'll blame it for everything.

Hotblack Desiato

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

The shortsighted incentivisation of diseasel cars here was nothing to do with the EU - thank the Green Party for that one.

AM radio isn't either but I suppose if you have something set up as the bogeyman you'll blame it for everything.

OK........ WTF ? lol.

Mickey Mike

Let's hope RTE will focus on a good strong FM reception throughout the island of Ireland, it will be the only analogue system left in the country.

Mickey Mike

Mickey Mike wrote: »

Let's hope RTE will focus on a good strong FM reception throughout the island of Ireland, it will be the only analogue system left in the country.

They don't have a choice, no one wanted their outdated Digital service at 56 Kbps MP2 lol. Digital ages a lot faster lol.

But no, that wasn't the real reason, People are happy enough with analogue FM for a reason, it works, there's not nearly the same benefit to digital radio as there is digital TV and none of the commercial stations were interested because why ? why would they spend money, just to change to digital because the word digital is the cool thing today ?

So there's still plenty of Analogue FM, just unfortunately most of the stations are rubbish and oppressed by the regulations of the BAI and can't fully thrive without state interference.

rathfarnhamlad

Mickey Mike wrote: »

RTE have a DRM compatible 300kW transmitter at Summerhill since July 2007
Is it even possible to buy a DRM radio? that seems to be the problem in Europe, so that was a waste of time from the get go.

I have seen a few newly manufactured DRM receivers which looked to be rather badly put together on various sites which were selling for prices on a level with top-spec B&O hi-fi gear. Good luck with that!

Not that long ago I came across a Morphy Richards (I think) used DRM receiver which was listed on eB*y over & over with no sale.

TAFKAlawhec

Deleted User wrote: »

They don't have a choice, no one wanted their outdated Digital service at 56 Kbps MP2 lol. Digital ages a lot faster lol.

The lowest bitrate of any RTE service when they were broadcasting DAB using MP2 was 80 kbps mono & 128 kbps joint stereo, with Lyric FM getting 160 kbps JS. Also IIRC the two HE-AAC services were 64 kbps.

TAFKAlawhec

TAFKAlawhec wrote: »

The lowest bitrate of any RTE service when they were broadcasting DAB using MP2 was 80 kbps mono & 128 kbps joint stereo, with Lyric FM getting 160 kbps JS. Also IIRC the two HE-AAC services were 64 kbps.

Lyric according to my radio was 128 Kbs mp2 and the rest were around 56 Kbps Mp2 according again to the radio and this matched up what I looked up too.

Having said that it was ok for the likes of Radio 1 for speech but it was far from the "digital Quality" RTE tried to make it out and why we should abandon that horrible FM quality lol.

They abandoned Mount Leinster transmissions a long time ago. Even so, no one really cared because they could get whatever they wanted on FM.

Gerry Wicklow

Deleted User wrote: »

....Even so, no one really cared because they could get whatever they wanted on FM.

To my mind that sums up DAB for the Irish market. No one was interested. Existing stations are happy with what they have. Smaller or newer niche stations could never afford it, especially when compared to streaming. The audience is equally happy(ish) with FM. Why would they waste money on an expensive receiver with no obvious advantages.
Similarly I would love to know how many people know about or use Saorview for radio.
Apart from the few specialised people here (us anoraks) I doubt many of the general public know or care about either Saorview radio or DAB radio.

Sam Russell

Gerry Wicklow wrote: »

To my mind that sums up DAB for the Irish market. No one was interested. Existing stations are happy with what they have. Smaller or newer niche stations could never afford it, especially when compared to streaming. The audience is equally happy(ish) with FM. Why would they waste money on an expensive receiver with no obvious advantages.
Similarly I would love to know how many people know about or use Saorview for radio.
Apart from the few specialised people here (us anoraks) I doubt many of the general public know or care about either Saorview radio or DAB radio.

Are there any Saorview radio receivers?

(That is radios that can decode the Saorview signal for audio only.)

Johnboy1951

Sam Russell wrote: »

Are there any Saorview radio receivers?

(That is radios that can decode the Saorview signal for audio only.)

Never seen or even read of one. Would love to though if anyone has a link.

I think technology might have passed that by in any case, for the home.
It is easy to implement DVB-T and DVB-S radio reception throughout the home via wifi, once a suitable STB is installed.
I began using an old (Lidl?) SD DVB-S receiver for the purpose, years ago, but it is now available throughout my home (both DVB-T and DVB-S), easily from a Linux box.

Gerry Wicklow

Gerry Wicklow wrote: »

To my mind that sums up DAB for the Irish market. No one was interested. Existing stations are happy with what they have. Smaller or newer niche stations could never afford it, especially when compared to streaming. The audience is equally happy(ish) with FM. Why would they waste money on an expensive receiver with no obvious advantages.
Similarly I would love to know how many people know about or use Saorview for radio.
Apart from the few specialised people here (us anoraks) I doubt many of the general public know or care about either Saorview radio or DAB radio.

The best network isn't worth anything if the content is poor and the last few years RTE content quality is deplorable and even their Children's TV is a joke.

RTE today are, in the minds of many, irrelevant and not worth paying a license for but I'm sure Dee Forbes will get her way and the Government will forcibly extract the license fee and add it to the property tax.

L1011

Deleted User wrote: »

Lyric according to my radio was 128 Kbs mp2 and the rest were around 56 Kbps Mp2 according again to the radio and this matched up what I looked up too.

Having said that it was ok for the likes of Radio 1 for speech but it was far from the "digital Quality" RTE tried to make it out and why we should abandon that horrible FM quality lol.

They abandoned Mount Leinster transmissions a long time ago. Even so, no one really cared because they could get whatever they wanted on FM.

Neither my memory nor Wornort has ever seen those bitrates. Nor was it ever on Mount Leinster.

I think you misremember.

Sam Russell

Deleted User wrote: »

The best network isn't worth anything if the content is poor and the last few years RTE content quality is deplorable and even their Children's TV is a joke.

RTE today are, in the minds of many, irrelevant and not worth paying a license for but I'm sure Dee Forbes will get her way and the Government will forcibly extract the license fee and add it to the property tax.

I do not relish the idea that our national TV is reduced to Virgin Media. However bad RT are, VM are terrible and have as near zero local content.

Some of RTE content is brilliant, and much is appalling - but there is further choice if only by way of Satellite and streaming. RTE cannot hope to achieve the level of content achieved by BBC , ITV, and Ch4.

Just look at US TV (available in the US) and the content it achieves (as in bad).

Sam Russell

Sam Russell wrote: »

I do not relish the idea that our national TV is reduced to Virgin Media. However bad RT are, VM are terrible and have as near zero local content.

Some of RTE content is brilliant, and much is appalling - but there is further choice if only by way of Satellite and streaming. RTE cannot hope to achieve the level of content achieved by BBC , ITV, and Ch4.

Just look at US TV (available in the US) and the content it achieves (as in bad).

RTE content used to be a lot better and so used their presenters, but this is going back a pretty long time now so no one cares any more they have been so bad for so long, they failed to stay relevant.

I get that some of their content is appealing to some but I honestly can't remember the last time I watched anything on RTE TV.

And I agree, Virgin is complete and utter junk, I don't watch this either.

dxhound2005

Deleted User wrote: »

RTE content used to be a lot better and so used their presenters, but this is going back a pretty long time now so no one cares any more they have been so bad for so long, they failed to stay relevant.

I get that some of their content is appealing to some but I honestly can't remember the last time I watched anything on RTE TV.

And I agree, Virgin is complete and utter junk, I don't watch this either.

You're judging content that you never heard or saw.

kazoo106

Absolute tripe being spun here regarding DAB and to a lesser extent AM

DAB is a perfectly good medium for radio broadcast, it works and sounds good (128k and above for DAB or 64k and above for DAB+)

AM has its place too - especially for coverage and very suited to speech radio

Both should be retained

dulpit

kazoo106 wrote: »

Absolute tripe being spun here regarding DAB and to a lesser extent AM

DAB is a perfectly good medium for radio broadcast, it works and sounds good (128k and above for DAB or 64k and above for DAB+)

AM has its place too - especially for coverage and very suited to speech radio

Both should be retained

What do they offer that would be worthwhile for Ireland?

Sam Russell

kazoo106 wrote: »

Absolute tripe being spun here regarding DAB and to a lesser extent AM

DAB is a perfectly good medium for radio broadcast, it works and sounds good (128k and above for DAB or 64k and above for DAB+)

AM has its place too - especially for coverage and very suited to speech radio

Both should be retained

DAB or DAB+ has no benefits for Ireland as it provides no extra reach over the existing FM network, no better quality. Receivers are much higher cost then FM receivers, and are clumsy to use, requiring better aerials, and are not suitable for battery powered receivers.

kazoo106

Virtually all my radio listening is nowadays by DAB from across the border, there are no issues with quality on the vast majority of broadcasts, in fact Downtown radio was most enjoyable over last weekend.
Anyway we are veering a little off topic. There remains a requirement for RTE on AM (as there was for Radio Ulster) on this island. There still are huge areas with no decent FM coverage.

dxhound2005

dxhound2005 wrote: »

You're judging content that you never heard or saw.

I see enough RTE TV when in My Mothers and in other People's homes.

I do actually listen to Radio 1 in the car to and from work a lot but that doesn't mean I like it but I would say that it's better than some other stations, of course a lot of the commercial stations are complete rubbish but R1 quality of programming has really slipped.

TAFKAlawhec

kazoo106 wrote: »

Absolute tripe being spun here regarding DAB and to a lesser extent AM

DAB is a perfectly good medium for radio broadcast, it works and sounds good (128k and above for DAB or 64k and above for DAB+)

AM has its place too - especially for coverage and very suited to speech radio

Both should be retained

The difference is that people in NI (and Britain) are listening to DAB/DAB+ broadcasts. Next to no one is opting to listen to a MW signal of the same station if they can help listening to it from another medium e.g. FM, DAB, online, satellite etc. with the only exception being opt-out programming. When the cost per listener for such stations make it uneconomical for the broadcaster to continue to transmit via a medium, they'll cut their cloth accordingly - not even PSBs are immune to this, and this doesn't just apply to MW & LW stations. Look at the Sky/Freesat (or FTA @ 28.2 East) channels that have in recent months/years decided to go online only and stop "linear", including motorsport.tv, Horse & Country and most recently BET UK. In more familiar turf, most student radio stations are now online only, having given up their low-power MW & FM transmissions (I think University of York Radio is the only one left among higher education level stations), for example Queens Radio from QUB in Belfast went off air from 1134 kHz nearly a decade ago.

Sam Russell wrote: »

DAB or DAB+ has no benefits for Ireland as it provides no extra reach over the existing FM network, no better quality. Receivers are much higher cost then FM receivers, and are clumsy to use, requiring better aerials, and are not suitable for battery powered receivers.

Much of this is now old hat - I bought a new DAB+/FM radio off Amazon before last Christmas for £20. Sure you can buy a pretty crappy FM radio for less than half that price, but new receivers are not that expensive. "Clumsy to use" is subjective (many have presets, otherwise you simply scroll through a list of tuned stations. I've no problem with indoor reception of the three ensembles I can receive at my home here off Brougher Mtn & Strabane, while battery life on receivers currently on sale are much better than their predecesors - the last two DAB+ receivers I bought both run off their own built-in lithium batteries. Not quite the same as analogue radio yet for the time being, but efficency is improving all the time.

As for the conditions that led to the eventual demise of RTÉ's DAB transmissions, ultimately IMO it was never given a proper chance through a combination of RTÉ's half hearted enthuasim, alongside the BAI and the commercial sector having no impetus to see it happen in the country - a case of current stations not wishing to see new competition in the marketplace and the regulator making little change to the audio broadcasting ecosystem over the past 30+ years - the BAI has long struck me as a rather conservative, risk adverse regulator for broadcast radio compared to many of their European counterparts. Political matters in how stations are licenced, content requirements etc. are also a factor. Now maybe the system of commercial radio licencing is actually one that is overall the more beneficial to the country than a more deregulated regime like the UK (though that's a somewhat unfair one given the big difference in size of potential audiences), but there is a train of thought of what it could be...

Hotblack Desiato

Deleted User wrote: »

RTE content used to be a lot better and so used their presenters, but this is going back a pretty long time now

I think this is very much rose-tinted.

It's amazing to look back on the complete shíte that millions of people watched in the 70s and 80s. They did this because there was nothing else to watch!

Hotblack Desiato

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

I think this is very much rose-tinted.

It's amazing to look back on the complete shíte that millions of people watched in the 70s and 80s. They did this because there was nothing else to watch!

Fair enough, different times though and kind of suited People then, yes not a lot to look at but think People were happy enough with what they watched, it's easy to look that far back and criticise the past and that seems to go along with what my Mother, Aunt and some others of that generations have told me. Far different times.

rathfarnhamlad

Radio Ulster gone from MW as of yesterday

Oscarziggy

rathfarnhamlad wrote: »

Radio Ulster gone from MW as of yesterday

Yep - I will miss it on 1341khz - always a good signal here in Pembrokeshire .
Another preset free for something else on the car radio - 1395 khz has sprung to mind .

RIP, sad time!

watty

Two tier society, those that have broadband and those that don't.

Most of the AM closures in Europe have been driven by accountants, not consideration of coverage to listeners. FM after 70 to 80 years depending country doesn't have the coverage. Partly because they won't add fill-in relays. DAB is worse in UK than FM for coverage. The UK uses Five on MW and R4 on LW because there isn't enough FM or DAB coverage.

Broadcast on radio is complementary to Broadband streaming which suits niche stations and is actually very expensive if engineered for a mass audience; it scales poorly. AM on MW and LW is still the most effective coverage for the entire population, at a very low environmental cost for the receivers, and per million simultaneous listeners LW or MW is much cheaper transmission than the mobile Network!

watty

kazoo106 wrote: »

Virtually all my radio listening is nowadays by DAB from across the border, there are no issues with quality on the vast majority of broadcasts, in fact Downtown radio was most enjoyable over last weekend.
Anyway we are veering a little off topic. There remains a requirement for RTE on AM (as there was for Radio Ulster) on this island. There still are huge areas with no decent FM coverage.

And IN even Belfast / Bangor area DAB is poorer than FM. The receivers too due to need to buffer are slower to change station in the car, especially to a different multiplex compared instant FM. I know people in Bangor that have abandoned DAB and using only FM. DAB+ is just used anywhere it's implemented to save costs. DAB bitrates are half what they should be because otherwise twice the cost.

It's a shame R. Ulster closed on AM. The power though was a lot less making extended night time coverage poor. These changes are not driven by listener needs but accountants rather than a service providing mentality. Never have people with accounting attitudes in charge of policy in any broadcaster or company. Accountants should only be advising on costs and managing the money.

FRIENDO

I'm still listening to RTE RADIO 1 on LW in my car.
As I find driving from Co. Wexford to Dublin for work, FM only works in urban areas in my Renault

Also listening to
LW 198 BBC4
MW BBC5 live

MW BBC 5 Live, live football can be listened to fine, however on tuenin, live football is blocked for rights.

Don't like listening to Internet radio in the car as it eats the Internet allowance

Mickey Mike

I turned on LW in my car driving on the Kerry Limerick border, there is a lot of noise on it as the power of the TX is not what it should be, and when I went under power lines it was worse again, so I don't know how people in the UK can listen to such interference. I feel AM had its day, with so many platforms broadcasters are not going to keep them all going so the oldest ones are to go, "I'd be thinking" although I was surprised DAB got the chop.

marno21

Mickey Mike wrote: »

I turned on LW in my car driving on the Kerry Limerick border, there is a lot of noise on it as the power of the TX is not what it should be, and when I went under power lines it was worse again, so I don't know how people in the UK can listen to such interference. I feel AM had its day, with so many platforms broadcasters are not going to keep them all going so the oldest ones are to go, "I'd be thinking" although I was surprised DAB got the chop.

Interference in the UK is a lot less disturbing because the signals are much stronger.

198 is less used in the UK (opt outs aside) due to R4 being on FM and in LW in many places too. (My car radio has no LW but can get R4 on 756 AM from Redruth in Cornwall (direct sea path to Cork)).

R5L and Talksport have the benefit in the UK of multiple frequencies with local variations in signal strength.

In saying that, Kerry/Limerick has the worst AM reception in Ireland surely. Miles from the border and miles from Wales/England.