BBC World Service 648 MW, 27/03/11, final minutes before transmitter switch off

This is a direct recording of the last final minutes of the BBC World Service on 648 Medium Wave/AM. This was recorded on Saturday 26th March 2011, the transmitter would switch off on the 27th at exactly midnight, as heard here at 03:58. The station you can hear after the BBC World Service switches off is Radio Nacional De Espana 1, transmitting from Extremadura.

The reason for the switchoff is due to a reduction in spending for public broadcasting, as a result of the austerity measures carried out by the Conservatives/Liberal Democrats coalition government here in the UK. The BBC has also ended other foreign language services also because of the cuts.

The BBC World Service on 648 MW was transmitting from Orfordness in England at a power of 500 kw.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• bbc
• world
• service
• 648
• medium
• wave
• am
• kHz
• khz
• final
• minutes
• swtich
• off
• transmitter
• end
• english
• norwich

[TheOxleycrusher]

500kw?it sounds weak for that amount of output power,where was this recorded?

[mutezone]

@TheOxleycrusher In the south of England. The reason why it sounds weak is not only that RNE from Spain is on the same frequency, but also that the transmitter is beamed more towards the European mainland rather than the UK. This was the intention so that the BBC WS could be received in Europe apart from short wave, FM relays by local stations & satellite. The best place to receive 648 in the UK was in the Suffolk area where the transmitter is or was based.

[mutezone]

No problem. It is also sad for me since the BBC World Service was the first short wave station I listened to & their analogue services are being more fazed out.

[allstarsnorks2]

As in 648KhZ.

[allstarsnorks2]

Singapore will discontinue DAB. That includes the.BBC World Singapore. On 1st December 2011. Is it this frequency?

[Jamiep84]

The Orfordness transmitter was re-activated this week (02-08-11); it's being rented by Dutch public radio as a temporary fill-in transmitter, due to a mast collapse in The Netherlands.

[freepdeez]

Thank you for putting this up. I was listening at the time and where I was I could hear the buzzing noise as the transmitter was turned of and then there was nothing but crackling noise. Seeing 648 on the display and only hearing noise made me feel sad after 10 years of almost daily listening.

How ironic that the last words of the broadcast was the slogan "Wherever you are, you're with the BBC." Well, not anymore. :(

[dxmatze]

I agree with senderjaeger. :(

Thanks for upload!

[senderjaeger]

One of the saddest moments in radio history... Thanks for uploading, I myself missed to listen live.