More AM Closures at BBC

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GhostFromTVF
Posts: 47
Joined: Sat 13 Jun, 2020 18.28
Location: North East England

Ten BBC stations are shutting down their AM frequencies in the next few months, and two stations are reducing AM coverage:

https://radiotoday.co.uk/2021/04/ten-mo ... -services/
GhostFromTVF
Posts: 47
Joined: Sat 13 Jun, 2020 18.28
Location: North East England

The closures have begun. Radio Ulster and Foyle have left AM, and retune loops are now on.

Radio Ulster 1341 - https://up.metropol247.co.uk/GhostFromT ... 20Loop.mp3
Radio Ulster 873 - https://up.metropol247.co.uk/GhostFromT ... 20Loop.mp3
Radio Foyle 792 - https://up.metropol247.co.uk/GhostFromT ... 20Loop.mp3
robschneider
Posts: 324
Joined: Wed 14 Aug, 2013 14.53

AM will close in the next 5 years I reckon. There's just too much RF interference around now for it to be of any use in the home. In the car the Faraday cage effect helps a little but the tuner is not going to be the best. AM transmitters are also more expensive to run than their FM counterparts.

The big question is how long 198 will last. It has legacies for the shipping forecast and, reportedly, it's still part of the checks before opening the Letter Of Last Resort. But it runs on parts which aren't replaceable now. At some point it will fall silent.
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