in reply to Wave of protest engulfs RTÉ
to the persons who commented and doubted the validity of the British Journalists claim on NI reception of RTE. The 600,000 people in the Greater Belfast area knew MW was the only way to hear radio 1 on a portable radio. RTE knew this and were forced to concede moving LyricFM 87.8FM to 95.2 & RTE Radio from 95.2 to 87.8 due to adjacent Radio Ulster signal on 95.1 from North Antrim coast. This a move RTE could have made any time in the past number of years (15years), the move is effective 9am 14/03/2008.
Yesterday I learned from the Department of Communication in Dublin, who were informed by RTE, that the MW shutdown on 24/03/2008 is happening so that they can direct cost savings (€1M p/a?) into DAB roll out in Ireland which despite it being on trial is been aggressively rolled out countrywide. I kid you not. This is what I was told, on further examination it seems to be part of RTE’s very short term strategy. A medium length strategy they do not have, and soon they wont have a medium wave to put it on if they ever do get a medium to long term strategy. FWIW DAB is 23 years out of Demo mode. They are killing off 80 years of MW just before it may breathe new life with DRM in favour of mpeg2 DAB which is failing on a tech & business level in our nearest neighbours market the UK.