Absolute Radio to end AM transmissions on 23/01/23

[Rich Woods]

While we are discussing 247m (1215khz), back in the early 1990’s I had a wireless with LW that was more biased towards MW than normal. I used to receive a strong Virgin Radio signal from Droitwich on 832m (360khz). I could never make my mind up if this was a fault with my set or a harmonic signal from Droitwich, who would ever know, as this is outside normal broadcast range. Any ideas anyone?

[Cathovisor]

Originally Posted by Rich Woods

While we are discussing 247m (1215khz), back in the early 1990’s I had a wireless with LW that was more biased towards MW than normal. I used to receive a strong Virgin Radio signal from Droitwich on 832m (360khz). I could never make my mind up if this was a fault with my set or a harmonic signal from Droitwich, who would ever know, as this is outside normal broadcast range. Any ideas anyone?

Poor image rejection within the set. Subtract 2x the IF from the Virgin frequency of the time and there's your answer. I remember servicing an HMV transistor portable with this very problem, except it was Radio 1 in those days.

[Rich Woods]

Originally Posted by Cathovisor

Poor image rejection within the set. Subtract 2x the IF from the Virgin frequency of the time and there's your answer. I remember servicing an HMV transistor portable with this very problem, except it was Radio 1 in those days.

Thanks that explains it then. Much appreciated.

[emeritus]

That would explain the station I get at the same part of the LW band on my bedside transistor radio, a Realistic "Voice of the world" bought in a sale at my local Tandy branch many years ago.

[Rich Woods]

A bit OT I know but does anyone know what the band between MW & LW was historically used for.

[Radio Wrangler]

There are navigation beacons there (still!)

David

[Radio Wrangler]

Well, we've left Absolute Radio far behind and have circled the end-of-AM plughole a few times. There seems to be nothing left to say on the original topic.

David

[rambo1152]

The Absolute thread has been closed, but it seems incomplete without this postscript.

https://radiotoday.co.uk/2023/01/27/...os-am-service/

[paulsherwin]

An intriguing possibility is that Ofcom allocate the remainder of the licence to the Caroline people to indicate their disapproval and punish Bauer, though that would obviously need to work financially. Although they'd like to get rid of AM as much as Bauer do, they won't appreciate being ordered about by the companies they're supposed to be regulating.

[stevehertz]

Bauer will just argue that there were not enough listeners to the AM broadcast to make it commercially viable, so it was somewhat pointless and a waste of energy to carry on. It's not a new cry is it?

[G6Tanuki]

Originally Posted by paulsherwin

An intriguing possibility is that Ofcom allocate the remainder of the licence to the Caroline people to indicate their disapproval and punish Bauer, though that would obviously need to work financially. Although they'd like to get rid of AM as much as Bauer do, they won't appreciate being ordered about by the companies they're supposed to be regulating..

ISTR that in the past Ofcom have also looked with financially-punitive disfavour on operators who bid for and won licenses on a speculative basis but never used them... without knowing the financial details of the Caroline operation I'm not sure if they would look too kindly on being 'gifted' channels if these came with any obligation/liability to actually use them.

[Junk Box Nick]

Fine Bauer enough to finance Caroline using the transmitters!

Actually Caroline are not far away from running their 648 Tx using solar power. ‘Over production’ of electricity will be gifted to Cobra Mist and any extra sold to the grid split between the two organisations.

Back on topic: In reality Bauer will have taken a calculated gamble that any penalty will be a lot less than running transmitters to which very few are listening. They will invoke energy crisis and climate change, etc., as a responsible action for close down. My guess is that they will get a slap on the wrist.

[Valvepower]

Caroline doesn’t have money to throw around and must be prudent. They are currently raising money to fully restore the Ross Revenge in dry dock.

As a bit of bizarre musing regards the old Absolute 247m channel it would be quite bizarre Caroline broadcasting on the old Radio One and Light programme channel on medium wave

Terry

[Rich Woods]

Originally Posted by Valvepower

Caroline doesn’t have money to throw around and must be prudent. They are currently raising money to fully restore the Ross Revenge in dry dock.

As a bit of bizarre musing regards the old Absolute 247m channel it would be quite bizarre Caroline broadcasting on the old Radio One and Light programme channel on medium wave

Terry

Yeah, it would be wonderfully ironic wouldn’t it. There’s always been something great about Caroline’s indefatigable determination to carry on and this would be a truly excellent bit of karma.

[hamid_1]

Originally Posted by Junk Box Nick

In reality Bauer will have taken a calculated gamble that any penalty will be a lot less than running transmitters to which very few are listening. They will invoke energy crisis and climate change, etc., as a responsible action for close down. My guess is that they will get a slap on the wrist.

Yes, exactly. ITV did a similar thing by closing down their teletext service on analogue TV a few years before 2012 when the last analogue TV transmissions were due to end. ITV incurred a fine, but worked out it was cheaper than the cost of running the teletext service until the very end of analogue TV. I reckon Bauer have already done their sums. They had 8 years left to run on their AM licence. That would be a big ongoing expense for a small number of listeners. And they've taken a gamble that no competitor will apply for the AM licence if it is readvertised.

[paulsherwin]

It does depend on the Arqiva transmisson charges of course. If nobody wants to use 1215 then Arqiva will be left with a transmitter network that is basically scrap, and has large decommissioning costs.

[agardiner]

Reading that report about Ofcom, it suggests that Absolute Radio could lose their licence. Does that mean altogether? Or just their national AM one?

It will be interesting to see the outcome, as it might put off Global closing down the rest of their Smooth network for a while!

[paulsherwin]

Bauer are only behaving like this because Ofcom have been pretty supine and spineless about radio for decades. When the commercial operators asked to reduce the DAB bitrates to unlistenable levels, they just said yes and forgot about it. They didn't say a word when media companies were buying up all the old ILR local stations and turning them into homogenous national networks.

Perhaps the worm will finally turn given the contempt from Bauer, but I'm not optimistic.

[Glowing Bits!]

Check out Ringway Manchester on YouTube, he explains what is likely to happen to Bauer Media following the untimely closure of the transmitters.

[Radio Wrangler]

Originally Posted by Rich Woods

Yeah, it would be wonderfully ironic wouldn’t it. There’s always been something great about Caroline’s indefatigable determination to carry on and this would be a truly excellent bit of karma.

As if it isn't ironic enough that they are broadcasting from the very site the postmaster general used to try to jam the pirates

David