End of An Era: BBC Plans to Shut Down by This Year

Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia

According to a 2023 article from Chris Baraniuk, BBC plans to end support for long wave radio that broadcast their radio programs in March.  This decision is due to the radio spectrum being too costly for survival, signifying a new era in radio.

“Long wave is coming to the end of its life as a technology” confirms a BBC spokesperson. "We always work closely with organizations that support vulnerable audiences around the time of any platform closure, ensuring we migrate listeners to our other platforms in a timely and sensitive manner".

The decision from BBC has left fans of long wave radio upset by the news. “The band is basically almost dead” states Oxford resident Clint Gouveia, a dedicated listener to long wave radio. "It all feels a bit sad, really."

With this change, stations like the BBC hope to capitalize on the success of digital, FM, and online radio. A 2022 study from RAJAR concluded that live radio is the most consumed form of audio entertainment, covering 88 percent of adults aged 15 and above.

The digital era of radio now allows individuals to listen to radio stations through smart phones and other devices, further causing long wave radio to become obsolete. The same study from RAJAR states that 76 percent of adults involved in the study listen to radio at home.

Romania, Poland, Algeria, Morocco and Mongolia are reported to be the final few users of the long wave radio system in Europe. Such a low amount signifies the change to digital services for radio.