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BBC Ends Its Long Wave Radio Broadcasts After Almost a Century
Radio 4 content will remain on FM, DAB and digital platforms as the BBC shifts investment away from aging long-wave equipment.
- On Saturday, June 27, 2026, the BBC permanently switched off its long-wave radio service at 1 a.m., ending nearly 100 years of transmissions. Presenter Al Ryan marked the occasion as "the end of an era."
- The corporation shut down the service because long-wave technology is "coming to the end of its life," and maintaining the aging infrastructure would require "significant investment" for a platform serving only a small proportion of listeners.
- Since 1934, the frequency served as a critical tool during the Second World War and later hosted the Shipping Forecast. Campaigners unsuccessfully argued that the platform provided essential non-digital coverage for remote and rural communities.
- All Radio 4 programmes, including "The Archers" and "Desert Island Discs," continue without interruption on FM, DAB, and digital platforms. The BBC Helpdesk and partner organizations assist vulnerable listeners with the transition to modern listening methods.
- This closure aligns with the BBC's wider strategy to prioritize "investing in platforms that best-serve audiences and provide resilient coverage for the future," as FM alone reaches 99.5% of United Kingdom households during the shift to digital broadcasting.
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources24
Leaning Left7Leaning Right5Center9Last UpdatedBias Distribution43% Center
Bias Distribution
- 43% of the sources are Center
43% Center
L 33%
C 43%
R 24%
Factuality
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