BBC shuts down historic Droitwich Long Wave transmitter after decades of service

The BBC has switched off its main Long Wave transmitter at Droitwich. The shutdown follows a shortage of spare transmitter tubes. Long Wave broadcasting once played a key role in British radio history. Long Wave transmissions began in the mid-1920s on a 1600 metre wavelength, or 187.5 kHz. In 1934, the frequency changed to 193 kHz, then to 200 kHz, matching a 1500 metre wavelength. Programming started with the BBC National Service, later switching to the Light Programme and finally Radio 4.

The service broadcast famous shows like the Shipping Forecast, a vital weather bulletin for deep-sea fishermen. In 1988, the frequency shifted again, this time down 2 kHz to 198 kHz. The transmissions were atomic-controlled and served as a precise frequency standard.

A young child in an Oxfordshire farmhouse once listened to the original Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy radio series on 200 kHz Long Wave in the 1970s. The BBC eventually stopped broadcasting Radio 4 on the 198 kHz frequency. Long Wave itself covers the range of 153 to 279 kHz. The closure of the Droitwich transmitter marks the end of an era for Long Wave radio. The lack of replacement tubes made continued operation impossible. The technology had supported decades of broadcasting, from drama to critical maritime services.