RTÉ says listeners easily made medium wave move

RTÉ'S DECISION to shut down its medium-wave service appears to have gone more smoothly than expected as it has only received requests for 50 free or half-price radios from the public.

RTÉ stopped its medium-wave service on March 24th and the scheme, offering long-wave radios to the most needy and vulnerable people, closed last Friday.

"There was a very low level of response," said Sarah Martin, RTÉ senior press officer. The station had originally planned to provide free long-wave radios for the most needy people and to also provide half-price vouchers for Roberts radios. Because of the low level of response, RTÉ provided free radios to all 50 applicants.

"We're really getting the impression that our listeners have made the switch comfortably to FM and other new ways of listening to radio such as internet, mobile phone, via television and the DAB [ digital audio broadcasting] trials," Ms Martin said.

She said the station had also played looped announcements after the closure, telling listeners how to retune and had placed notices in the RTÉ Guide.

Ms Martin said the station received about 35 calls last week inquiring about switching from the medium-wave service and fewer than 200 calls in the week after the closure.

"We've had very few calls from UK listeners," she said.

RTÉ was criticised by politicians and groups representing the elderly and emigrants when news emerged that it was to close the medium-wave service.

They said it would deprive elderly people who only had medium-wave radios, people living in areas with poor FM coverage, and the Irish living in Britain, of a radio service.

RTÉ said it shut down the service because the audience was very small. The closure will save the national broadcaster €1.5 million a year.