Official shutdown of Droitwich transmitter on LW – 30 June 2026 [video]
The Droitwich longwave transmitter, which has broadcast BBC Radio 4 on 198 kHz since the 1930s, is set to officially shut down on 30 June 2026. The closure marks the end of an era for one of the UK's oldest AM broadcast sites.
Background
- Droitwich is a transmitter site in Worcestershire, England, that has broadcast BBC Radio 4 on Long Wave (198 kHz) since the 1930s. Long wave (LW) is an old AM radio band that can travel hundreds of miles, making it a "national" signal for the UK.
- BBC Radio 4 on LW is historically important as the primary way many people (especially older audiences, farmers, and those in rural areas) accessed news, drama, and the daily "Shipping Forecast" — a weather bulletin for seafarers that has been broadcast on LW since the 1920s.
- The BBC announced in 2025 that Droitwich's long wave transmitter will be shut down on 30 June 2026, ending 90+ years of service. The reason is cost: maintaining a separate LW signal for a shrinking audience is expensive, and the BBC is shifting resources to digital (DAB, online) and FM.
- This shutdown is part of a wider global trend: countries across Europe are closing long and medium wave AM transmitters as listeners migrate to digital platforms. For context, the UK switched off its last medium wave (AM) transmitters in 2024, except for a few preserved services.