247m AM is now silent

[Martin Wynne]

.
In other news --

AM radio (amplitude modulation) was the traditional method of radio broadcasting for many years before the development of FM (frequency modulation). Which offered improved sound quality at the expense of requiring more troublesome domestic aerials.

The well-known 1215 kHz radio frequency (247 metres AM) was used in some UK areas by the BBC Light Programme until the launch of BBC Radio 1 in 1967. I remember the fuss that caused with some Light Programme listeners. 247m became the national home of BBC Radio 1 until 22 November 1978.

Then from 23 November 1978 until 28 February 1992, it was used by BBC Radio 3.

In more recent years the AM frequency and transmitters have had several owners, currently Bauer Media Group who were using it to transmit Absolute Radio nationally.

Earlier this month Bauer announced that all the remaining AM transmitters would be switched off and that it would stop broadcasting on AM from 20th January, making Absolute Radio a digital-only station. The station closed on AM at midnight on 20 January 2023 -- 8 years before Bauer's national licence expires and in contravention of their agreement with Ofcom, leaving them open to a financial penalty. AM broadcasting is power-hungry, so you can see in the present energy environment and with declining listeners on AM why they might prefer to risk the penalty.

The transmitters continued to broadcast a goodbye information loop until yesterday. Then 247m went silent for the first time in my lifetime and the transmitters are now cold.

Does it matter? Well probably not, nothing lasts for ever. But so many things disappear without anyone noticing that I thought I might mention it here.

Martin.

 

[Paul Boyd]

Hi Martin,

I seem to remember listening to Radio 1 on “247m medium wave” in my youth. That was probably before my grandmother gave myself and my brother a huge radiogram which had FM (and a 4-speed turntable!) - a Rigonda Bolshoi Stereo Multiplex. That was the same radiogram that I used to spend hours listening to SW on, including the hypnotic numbers stations.

Cheers,
Paul

 

[Martin Wynne]

I seem to remember listening to Radio 1 on “247m medium wave” in my youth.

Hi Paul,

I can hear it now.

Does anyone still refer to radio stations by the frequency numbers? Do radio sets still have dials? Or do we all now say "Alexa, play Radio 5". Or in my case "Alexa, make me a cup of tea".

cheers,

Martin.

 

[Phil O]

I used to have a small transistor radio that I took with me when I did my paper round in the mornings so that I could listen to radio 1.

A few of the lads down the pub have switched Alexa off, as they were getting woken up in the early hours, by Alexa turning on spurious sounds or asking stupid questions. Apparently she doesn't like to be told to shut up, or other less polite phrases.

 

[Paul Boyd]

Hi Paul,

I can hear it now.

Does anyone still refer to radio stations by the frequency numbers? Do radio sets still have dials? Or do we all now say "Alexa, play Radio 5". Or in my case "Alexa, make me a cup of tea".

cheers,

Martin.

Hi Martin,

“247 medium wave” has to be heard in a Smashy and Nicey voice

I hadn’t really thought about it, but I can’t remember the last time I found a station by frequency (other than hunting shortwave stations). I have DAB at home and in my car and BBC Sounds at work, so long as I can get Radio 3 on one or the other I’m happy! Unless Tom Service is on yet again…

I refuse to have Alexa - I would be using “less polite phrases” all the time! Surely in your case, it would be “Alexa, boil me an egg.”!

Cheers,
Paul

 

[Martin Wynne]

Surely in your case, it would be “Alexa, boil me an egg.”!

Hi Paul,

Yes please Alexa -- I could do with one right now:

On top of which I've just had an email reminder that my library books are due back. Perhaps Alexa wouldn't mind taking them?

cheers,

Martin.

 

[Paul Boyd]

Oh dear!!

 

[Martin Wynne]

.
In other news --

AM radio (amplitude modulation) was the traditional method of radio broadcasting for many years before the development of FM (frequency modulation). Which offered improved sound quality at the expense of requiring more troublesome domestic aerials.

The well-known 1215 kHz radio frequency (247 metres AM) was used in some UK areas by the BBC Light Programme until the launch of BBC Radio 1 in 1967. I remember the fuss that caused with some Light Programme listeners. 247m became the national home of BBC Radio 1 until 22 November 1978.

Then from 23 November 1978 until 28 February 1992, it was used by BBC Radio 3.

In more recent years the AM frequency and transmitters have had several owners, currently Bauer Media Group who were using it to transmit Absolute Radio nationally.

Earlier this month Bauer announced that all the remaining AM transmitters would be switched off and that it would stop broadcasting on AM from 20th January, making Absolute Radio a digital-only station. The station closed on AM at midnight on 20 January 2023 -- 8 years before Bauer's national licence expires and in contravention of their agreement with Ofcom, leaving them open to a financial penalty. AM broadcasting is power-hungry, so you can see in the present energy environment and with declining listeners on AM why they might prefer to risk the penalty.

The transmitters continued to broadcast a goodbye information loop until yesterday. Then 247m went silent for the first time in my lifetime and the transmitters are now cold.

Does it matter? Well probably not, nothing lasts for ever. But so many things disappear without anyone noticing that I thought I might mention it here.

Martin.

There's more:

Martin.

 

[David Higgs]

The well-known 1215 kHz radio frequency (247 metres AM) was used in some UK areas by the BBC Light Programme until the launch of BBC Radio 1 in 1967.

I remember it well, waiting patiently for Tony Black burn to appear!

Does anyone still refer to radio stations by the frequency numbers?

247 Metres is the Wavelength and 1214 kHz is the Frequency. I don't think Frequencies are used much, if at all on AM Broadcast Stations, but they are still used on VHF Broadcasts 88.9 FM for instance.

As a Radio Amateur, Frequencies and Wavelengths are still in use.

David.

 

[roythebus]

This means I won't be able to listen to anything on my 1929 HMV radiogram! Bought in semi-restored condition, it still worked last time I plugged it in. It has an electric gramophone that is gear-driven with a tracking weight of several pounds! That bit should still work, unless there's and foreign stations that still use medium wave.

The mains lead is a bit iffy, being nearly 100 years old and rubber and cloth covered, so until I replace that am reluctant to put mains power through it!

Digital radio isn't all it's made out to be, the 2 small sets we have at home have noticeable time delay which I'm told is down to the speed the processors work. quite annoying to get this echo effect between the kitchen and living room.

 

[Paul Boyd]

Digital radio isn't all it's made out to be, the 2 small sets we have at home have noticeable time delay which I'm told is down to the speed the processors work. quite annoying to get this echo effect between the kitchen and living room.

This echo effect is really very annoying, and in my small flat with radios on in both the front room and the "model" room it's quite noticeable. It also means the pips on Radio 4, if they still have those, will be wrong!

 

[roythebus]

I'm convinced digital radio is the answer to everything. I can't get it in my car (an 08 Range Rover Vogue) and to get a new system for the car is more than the car is worth. even indoors, the portable digital radios pick up interference from the laptops and other nearby electrical devices. Reception isn't all it's made out to be with signal dropping out at random. At least with FM radio the signal will fade but is still listenable. Digi just disappears!

 

[David Higgs]

Until someone mentions it, I forget that the Car Radio is Digital Radio, it's that good.

 

[Paul Boyd]

Until someone mentions it, I forget that the Car Radio is Digital Radio, it's that good.

Likewise.

 

[roythebus]

I should have typed digital radio is NOT the answer to everything. As I type this now with the portable radio a metre from the laptop, the local radio station keeps disappearing, most annoying. It's rubbish.

 

[Daifly]

with the portable radio a metre from the laptop, the local radio station keeps disappearing,

How quaint - a portable radio! Haven't used one of those for a very long time. Why don't you just stream your local radio station on the laptop? If the laptop sound is poor (most are) buy a bluetooth speaker.

 

[roythebus]

I live in Kent, 2 miles from the "international highway" the M20 to the Channel Ports, 4 miles from the International Station, yet the mobile phone signal here is non-existent. The internet is still very slow so it's not worth paying £50-odd a month to upgrade to the so-called superfast broadband. No reception outside the house due to lack of mobile signal. We have a very good hifi, why should I need to buy yet more technology that probably won't work. The portable radio works everywhere on FM, it doesn't do so on digital radio. There's certainly no internet signal outside the house. I'm afraid I've got no faith in modern technology at all.

 

[Paul Boyd]

How quaint - a portable radio! Haven't used one of those for a very long time. Why don't you just stream your local radio station on the laptop? If the laptop sound is poor (most are) buy a bluetooth speaker.

Nothing wrong with portable radios! I have one (digital) in my model room - it's much easier to just press the 'On' button than to fire up a laptop, find the app and start it up just to listen to the radio. Same with the main radio (also digital) in my front room - press 'On' and sound comes out.

 

[Phil O]

There's a further pitfall with streaming radio and that the time lag between the radio and streaming can be as much as a couple of minutes. I used to stream the radio on my PC in the spare bedroom come workshop, but got fed up with the difference between that and radio's in the rest of the house, so I got a cheap radio for that room.

 

[Daifly]

There's a further pitfall with streaming radio and that the time lag between the radio and streaming can be as much as a couple of minutes. I used to stream the radio on my PC in the spare bedroom come workshop, but got fed up with the difference between that and radio's in the rest of the house, so I got a cheap radio for that room.

I don’t use radios. I have a networked Sonos system throughout the house (including the man cave) so any streamed content is always in sync. Controlled via a phone, tablet or computer it’s almost as quick to tune a particular station as a radio. A couple of seconds invested for the superior output is time well spent.
In my former working life, the old BBC 1500m 200khz long wave broadcasts were very useful in mid-Atlantic to get football results etc. as the frequency was within the spectrum covered by our navigation beacon receivers. GPS has made those receivers obsolete in most places so they’re only fitted to newer aircraft as a costly optional extra!

 

[roythebus]

It all sounds too much for me. There's no phone reception outside the house, so it won't work in the man caves in the garden. Just good old-fashioned radio, and the DAB on that isn't much good either.

 

[Martin Wynne]

The station closed on AM at midnight on 20 January 2023 -- 8 years before Bauer's national licence expires and in contravention of their agreement with Ofcom, leaving them open to a financial penalty. AM broadcasting is power-hungry, so you can see in the present energy environment and with declining listeners on AM why they might prefer to risk the penalty.

Just to follow up on this, on 1st June Bauer Media were fined £25,000 by Ofcom, for ceasing their AM transmissions 8 years before their licence agreement expires.

Martin.

 

[Phil O]

Hi Martin

Listening to Planet Rock, one of the Bauer Media DAB stations where they have daily or weekly competions to win thousands of pounds, last week was £250,000, and yesterday was £50,000, today is £52,000. I would say that they can afford the fine, probably out of petty cash.

 

[Pierre]

Just to follow up on this, on 1st June Bauer Media were fined £25,000 by Ofcom, for ceasing their AM transmissions 8 years before their licence agreement expires.

Martin.

One source on Youtube (Ringway Manchester) claimed that Ofcom could have levied up to a £250,000 fine but chose the lesser amount. Seems like a gentle slap on the wrist if you consider how much the broadcaster will save in electricity and maintenance accross all of their closed AM sites over the next twelve months.