BBC shuts down Long Wave after a century of iconic broadcasts

The BBC has ended Long Wave broadcasting after more than a century. The main transmitter at Droitwich, operating on 198 kHz, has been turned off. This follows the decision to stop Radio 4 transmissions on the frequency. Long Wave broadcasting in the UK began in the mid-1920s. Over the decades, it carried programmes such as the BBC National Service, the Light Programme, and later Radio 4. The frequency itself shifted over time, moving from 187.5 kHz to 198 kHz.

The Shipping Forecast, a long-standing BBC feature, was originally broadcast on Long Wave. Many listeners recall tuning in to iconic shows, including The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, which a young child in an Oxfordshire farmhouse heard in the 1970s.

The shutdown comes because of a shortage of spare high-power transmitter tubes. Without replacements, the BBC could no longer sustain the service. The closure of the Droitwich transmitter marks the end of an era for BBC Long Wave. Programmes once heard on this band will now rely on other platforms. The decision reflects both technical challenges and changing broadcasting needs.