- The BBC has closed its Long Wave (LW) service
- BBC 4 joins the digital-only party
- Radios May Soon Need to Be Digital-Friendly to Be Viable
If you’re still using a decades-old retro radio (and you live in the UK), you’ll probably have to head to your local electronics store, because it’s on its way out.
BBC 4, the last UK radio station to use longwave (LW) radio, has been pulled from the airwaves. And by this I mean that it is still broadcast digitally and on analogue FM radio, but it is the last station to be removed from the BBC’s Long Wave service and therefore the power there has been cut.
This follows a multi-decade trend, which began in 1995 when the Beeb launched its first DAB broadcast. Over time, digital-only stations and the slow closure of obsolete longwave technology have made digital one of the preferred ways to listen.
Although various mediumwave and FM radio broadcasts persist, most people will listen to their stations via digital audio in 2026, with spoken word and songs converted to binary rather than the warmer, imperfect oscillations of wave-based radio. And I have to tell you: this is how it will continue.
Digital is the future
This format closure will reduce the complexity of the BBC’s extended multi-signal operation. In theory, it will increase accessibility (you can listen to digital signals anywhere in the world, without needing to be within range of the signal), but some listeners with limited Internet access or technological capabilities may be excluded.
For better or worse, that’s how things go. The UK government is consulting on plans for television to follow suit, aiming to phase out terrestrial television by 2034 or possibly 2044.
The proposals face the same criticism for reducing access to programming, although an eight-year lead-in period gives people plenty of time to upgrade. This is especially true given that today’s best TVs are, let’s face it, smart.
According to the BBC, around a third of a million viewers currently only have access to Freeview, and the corporation has threatened to close channels if it is forced to support terrestrial television for much longer. It will depend on the consultation process.
However, it is too late for longwave radio which, in the UK, now joins dinosaurs and passenger pigeons in the “extinct things” category.
At least we know his death wasn’t in vain – it will keep the BBC going for a while longer.
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