| End of service - Long Wave Posted by Trowres at 23:32, 27th June 2026 |     |
At 01:00 this morning, 27th June 2026, Radio 4 transmissions on 198kHz (long wave) ceased.
There was no special ceremony; just the usual end of day: "Sailing by" introducing the shipping forecast; the National Anthem; the time signal.
A few seconds silence, then a repeating closure information loop.
I decided to wallow in a bit of nostalgia (like a final train service day) and listened to this on a GEC transistor radio that is around 65 years old, like this one: https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/general_el_bc502bc_50.html
This same radio has been in the family since I was a tiny tot. It was with me at university and relayed the results of the 1979 election that brought Margaret Thatcher to power.
In the days of e-waste mountains, it is a testament to how long electronic equipment can last.
| Re: End of service - Long Wave Posted by grahame at 07:05, 28th June 2026 | |
The end of 1500m Long Wave feels like the end of an era. Many happy and some not-so-happy times shared with Radio 4, including the start and end of broadcast times.
