RTÉ to stop longwave radio service from April 14
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RTÉ is to cease broadcasting on the long wave service which airs its radio station to emigrants.
The LW252 signal, which carries the programme to listeners across the UK, including parts of the north that cannot access an FM service, will stop on April 14.
This means that listeners in the UK will have to access the radio channel on either , or channels on and .
RTÉ bosses have confirmed that listeners in Ireland will still be able to access on FM, but also on Saorview and Saorsat or on the RTÉ Radio player or Irish Radio player apps.
The broadcaster says the decision to take the long wave service off air is based on three interrelated factors, including reducing energy usage, widespread availability, and the launch of the new RTÉ Radio App on mobile devices.
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It said: “Like all businesses, RTÉ 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.
“Widespread availability of connected devices, which gathered pace during the global pandemic, is giving access to almost unlimited choice.
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.
In 2019, the Government announced major upgrade works to antennae in Co Meath to ensure that the transmission of longwave radio continued for the Irish diaspora.
At that point, the chair of the Oireachtas Communications Committee, Hildegarde Naughton said the works on the equipment would guarantee the continuance of the longwave service for a minimum of two years.
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