Goodbye to longwave

An end to the RTÉ service

Sir, – I will be one of those who will be sorry when Friday comes and RTÉ switches off its longwave transmitter.

Although living in Belfast, I cannot receive RTÉ Radio 1 on FM, and so have relied on the longwave service.

I know it will be possible for me to access the station through my phone or on my computer but it won’t be as easy or convenient as my transistor radio.

Perhaps I have heard Sunday Miscellany, John Bowman, John Creedon and Lilian Smith for the last time?

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I will miss the loss of ability to quickly turn on the news headlines or listen to Morning Ireland as I move around the house.

As we mark 25 years since the signing of the Belfast Agreement, I will lose my ready access to the Irish State broadcaster. This has been important to me over those years.

I know that the cost of continuing the longwave service was difficult to justify and that there hasn’t been the same clamour of complaint from Irish exiles in Britain as there was the last time this was mooted. But I will miss Radio 1 on longwave. I’m sure I won’t be the only one. – Yours, etc,

BOB HANNA,

Belfast.