I’ve already contacted RTÉ, and include the text of my email below.

A Chara,I wish to express my concern regarding the decision by RTÉ to cease broadcasts on the medium wave band, and hope that the move can be reversed.

Most Irish listeners use the FM band. Those who do not often live in rural areas and are unable to receive an FM signal. The provision of a medium wave signal relates directly, therefore, to RTÉ’s public service remit and the desire that there be a universally accessible broadcast service. The claim that the continued service on long wave will be sufficient does not stand up to scrutiny given the absence of long wave on most modern domestic receivers.

Others have drawn attention to the role of MW in cross-border relations. I won’t repeat their claims here, but would urge you to pay close attention to them.

I would like to draw your attention to one final point. Requiring that those unable to receive FM now purchase receivers with long wave capability places a particular burden on these listeners just a short time before it is expected that all listeners will need to transition to digital receivers (of one type or another). Should the long wave band transition to DRM (as RTÉ has indicated with its tests last year) that would mean that listeners, often the elderly and those on limited incomes, would be required to purchase receivers now, only to have to have those receivers become obsolete within a short number of years. This approach to the changing nature of the broadcast environment seems somewhat short-sighted, and destined to cause disquiet and a lack of confidence among the public in general.

I urge RTÉ to defer its decision on the medium wave transmitters and to open a public consultation on the future of RTÉ’s distribution of content to the public it serves. As a central part of Irish cultural and social life, the Authority owes the public no less.

Is mise, le meas,

Andrew Ó Baoill

Now, to be fair, RTÉ will continue to offer service on Long Wave – most people will have missed the fact that RTÉ took over the 252 frequency a number of years ago, and is broadcasting the Radio One service on it – which will cover some of the areas being missed on FM. However, LW is not present on most domestic receivers at this stage, so it will be a difficult transition for some people. Thus, in a certain sense, the burden is being moved from RTÉ (who were spending large sums maintaining and operating a MW network) to individual listeners. As a public service operator, RTÉ have, in general, a responsibility to provide universal service, but whether that responsibility can be accurately given a financial value in calculating public service audits/reports, and where the burden becomes an unreasonable drain, depriving other possible public service activities, is a tricky question.

I wonder if this move will mean, however, that RTÉ will concentrate more investment on LW – which could be good news for Enda O’Kane’s campaign to have them introduce Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) on that band.

(Link thanks to fluffy.)