RT RADIO 1 TO CEASE BROADCASTING ON LONG WAVE
KEEP LISTENING TO RT RADIO 1 | WWW.RTE.IE/KEEPLISTENING
RT has today announced that RT Radio 1 will cease broadcasting on Long Wave 252 (LW 252) from Friday 14th April 2023.
In Ireland, listeners can continue to enjoy RT Radio 1 on FM, on Saorview and Saorsat and on their preferred audio streaming service, including the RT Radio Player and Irish Radioplayer apps.
In the UK, listeners can continue to enjoy RT Radio 1 on Freesat (channel 750), Sky (channel 0137) and Virgin Media (channel 917*), and on their preferred audio streaming service, including the RT Radio Player and Irish Radioplayer apps. The full range of listening options is available on www.rte.ie/keeplistening and details of how to voice search RT Radio 1 on Alexa or Google smart speakers are available on www.rte.ie/voice. Listeners can also contact the RTE Information Office on +353 12083434 or by emailing info@rte.ie for information.
The phasing out and closure of the Long Wave service was one of the recommendations of the Future of Media Commission Report which was published by the Government in July 2022. This was part of a wider recommendation aimed at ensuring RTE could invest available resources in innovation and digital services. Further investment into the mast and transmitter, which is no longer fit for purpose and has a significant carbon emission footprint, would significantly impair RTE's ability to meet the emissions reductions target required to contribute to the National Climate Action Plan.
RT 's decision to take the Long Wave service off air is based on three interrelated factors:
Like all businesses RT is seeking to reduce its energy usage in response to the climate crisis, public expenditure efficiency, and to reduce the burden on the national grid - and LW consumes significant energy.
The required investment to maintain the mast is very significant and given the greatly reduced number of listeners and the inaccessibility of longwave radio on newer devices means that this is a cost which is unfortunately no longer sustainable.
The increased accessibility of RT services and content internationally in a range of other formats, which are reaching a wide audience.
Additional detail regarding RT 's decision is provided below.
RT Director General, Dee Forbes said: While RT has invested considerably in prolonging the life of the transmitter to broadcast RT Radio 1 on Long Wave 252, we can no longer justify this investment. Not only is RT Radio 1 widely available in the UK across television and online services, including apps and smart speakers, the energy costs involved along with the cost of replacing the transmitter mean that, in line with the recommendation of the Future of Media Commission Report, the time has come to bring the Long Wave service to a close. While this may be disappointing to some listeners, RT must continue to invest in critical projects underpinning our production, distribution and business activities, as well as digital projects which are essential to ensure we continue to deliver value to our audiences.
RT is supporting this announcement with an information campaign on RT Radio 1 Longwave, through ads in relevant UK titles, via posters and flyers which will be distributed to a number of community organisations via the Irish Embassy in London and the Irish Consulates in Britain, and across RT 's social media channels.
Information on how to continue to listen to RT Radio 1 in Ireland or in the UK is available on www.rte.ie/keeplistening. The RT Information Office is available to answer questions regarding the Long Wave service on +353 12083434 or at info@rte.ie.
*May vary depending on your Virgin Media set-top-box.
ADDITIONAL DETAIL REGARDING RT 'S DECISION TO CEASE BROADCASTING ON LONG WAVE 252:
Listener behaviour is changing
Widespread availability of connected devices, which gathered pace during the global pandemic, is giving access to almost unlimited choice.
RT must adapt to meet this growing demand for a diverse range of audio services and must be able to make choices regarding investment.
In September 2022 RT launched a new RT Radio App on mobile devices (iOS and Android) the beginning of a substantial upgrade over the next two years of RT 's digital audio products and content offer.
Energy Costs in Outline
Over and above the capital requirements of LW, the annual operating costs of RT Radio 1 LW in 2022 were approximately 250,000 most of this was for electricity.
Given the price increases in energy, the operating cost for 2023 could be double this. Initial estimates for 2023 suggest these costs will exceed 400,000.
The LW service is extremely energy inefficient and today represents approximately 2.5% of RT 's total electrical energy usage (2021 figures from SEAI M&R system). Ceasing the service will bring a material reduction to RT 's electrical energy consumption, equivalent to approximately one-year average energy reductions required to hit 2030 targets.
LW is a legacy technology:
LW is not readily available on new radio sets or audio systems today.
There are few LW services in Europe, notably one in Iceland, and one in the UK for BBC Radio 4, which the BBC has announced it is closing.
With the energy crisis, broadcasters are seriously considering switching off LW radio services as they are energy intensive, costly to run and deliver small numbers of listeners, bringing into question the sustainability of LW.
Europe Stories
04/09/2025
Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE), in collaboration with Dalet, has been a...
12/05/2025
As newsrooms around the world begin to experiment with artificial intelligence, many are asking the same question: how do we move beyond isolated pilots and emb...
12/05/2025
12 May 2025
VEON Joins GSMA Advance's People Excellence Partner Program as ...
12/05/2025
Fox Corporation Reports Third Quarter Fiscal 2025 Financial Results NEW YORK, NY, May 12, 2025 - Fox Corporation (Nasdaq: FOXA, FOX; FOX or the Company ) t...
12/05/2025
FOX Unveils Name of New Streaming Service FOX One Featuring all of FOX's Premium News, Sports and Entertainment Programming in One Dynamic Platform New ...
12/05/2025
FOX Orders Propulsive, Edge-Of-Your-Seat Thriller Memory of a Killer For 2025-20...
12/05/2025
FOX Announces Schedule for 2025-26 Season #1 NETWORK IN A18-49 DELIVERS SLATE FILLED WITH FUN, IRREVERENT CONTENT AND BOLD, SIGNATURE FOX CHARACTERS ALL-NEW ...
12/05/2025
What is success? How is it achieved? And what does it really cost? These are the...
09/05/2025
At the Frontline Club in London, a venue long associated with media freedom and ...
09/05/2025
As excitement builds for the annual Eurovision Song Contest, Spotify data offers...
09/05/2025
In our latest blog, Laura Rognoni dives into the shifting currents of change in the digital entertainment landscape, revealing the trends that will keep viewers...
09/05/2025
Friday 9 May 2025
Download images HERE
Episodes are available on Sky Media Vil...
09/05/2025
New beta programme for Avid Pro Tools users provides versioned backup/archive
M...
09/05/2025
Further to the comments from RT Director-General, Kevin Bakhurst on Wednesday 7th May included below in which he asked the EBU for a discussion on Israel&#...
09/05/2025
Here is your host, Patrick Kielty!
In the season finale of The Late Late Show, ...
09/05/2025
My Eurovision Party 2025 - join in on the fun with RT Kids!
Eurovision launche...
08/05/2025
As expected, continued weak demand from key sales markets and declining economic...
08/05/2025
A new three-part series is coming to BBC iPlayer and BBC One
(Image: The Christie Archive Trust)
The BBC has announced Agatha Christie's Endless Night, a...
08/05/2025
Expect even more chaos this July with Harriet Webb leading the returning cast, p...
08/05/2025
08 May 2025
VEON Shareholders Re-elect Board at 2025 AGM, Founder Augie Fabela ...
08/05/2025
Comedy and entertainment channel U&Dave bring back their #1 ranked programme of ...
08/05/2025
Expect even more chaos this July with Harriet Webb leading the returning cast, p...
08/05/2025
TenneT relies on Arvato Systems for market communication
Energy industry: Impressive market communication know-how and system integration expertise
G tersloh...
08/05/2025
When Taiki Hamamoto, 22, came across a Hanafuda deck at his local game shop, he was intrigued. He had grown up playing the traditional Japanese card game with f...
08/05/2025
The Liveline is now open , said Joe Duffy earlier today, as he previewed this af...
08/05/2025
RT , in association with the BBC, Screen Ireland and Cineflix Rights has reveale...
07/05/2025
Discovering music should feel effortless and fun. That's why Spotify continu...
07/05/2025
FOX Doubles Down on the Laughs Renewing Comedies Animal Control, Starring Joel M...
07/05/2025
07 May 2025
VEON's QazCode Signs MoU with Seekr to Develop AI-Powered Solut...
07/05/2025
UKTV has ordered a feature length documentary celebrating the life of Britain...
07/05/2025
Wednesday 7 May 2025
Shaun the Sheep fans are in for a baaaarilliant treat in 2...
07/05/2025
Rohde & Schwarz to highlight innovative broadcast technologies at CABSAT 2025 Rohde & Schwarz will showcase its latest energy-efficient transmitters and 5G Br...
07/05/2025
The Importance of Workflow Efficiencies in Post-Production Wednesday, 14 May
14:40
FilmLight sits down with Sam Lempp, head of business development for Nara, ...
07/05/2025
RT News is pleased to announce the appointment of RT journalist, Fergal O'Brien, as its new Business Correspondent.
In his new role, Fergal will be repor...
06/05/2025
In Colombia, music isn't just background noise-it's center stage. It'...
06/05/2025
En Colombia, la m sica no suena de fondo: es el centro del escenario. Es el cora...
06/05/2025
At Spotify, we always seek ways to connect users with their next favorite podcas...
06/05/2025
Since Spotify's 2019 launch in India, the growth of the country's local ...
06/05/2025
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({...
06/05/2025
Comscore Reports First Quarter 2025 ResultsRESTON, Va., May 6, 2025 Comscore, Inc. (Nasdaq: SCOR), a trusted partner for planning, transacting and evaluating ...
06/05/2025
Live from Studio 1 at 7pm, Tuesday May 6
Iconic trad-fusion group K LA will be ...
06/05/2025
Rohde & Schwarz hosts RF Testing Innovations Forum 2025, helping design engineer...
06/05/2025
LONDON, UK, May 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today at the company s annual THINK event, IBM (NYSE: IBM) is unveiling new hybrid technologies that break down the long...
06/05/2025
Apple today introduced Tap to Pay on iPhone in Bulgaria, Finland, Hungary, Liechtenstein, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Switzerland, enabling millio...
06/05/2025
Ahead of Pride Month, Apple is introducing a new Apple Watch Pride Edition Sport Band, watch face, and iPhone and iPad wallpaper to celebrate the strength and b...
06/05/2025
First episode airs this Friday at 8pm on RT One and RT Player with Doireann N Ghlac in presenting
Guests include Barry Murphy, Brooke Scullion, Bryan Dobso...
05/05/2025
As Europe gears up for the Eurovision Song Contest 2025, Spotify is celebrating the spirit of unity and musical legacy with a new series of Spotify Singles. Fiv...
05/05/2025
As part of the restructuring of its loss-making Carbon Fibers business unit, SGL Carbon has decided to close its production site in Lavradio (Portugal). Lavradi...
05/05/2025
Comscore Launches Certified Deal IDs in Magnite's SSP, Bringing Trusted Cont...
RT RADIO 1 TO CEASE BROADCASTING ON LONG WAVE 
