For generations of listeners across the UK and beyond, BBC Radio 4 Longwave on 198 kHz has been one of the most familiar sounds on the radio dial. From the Shipping Forecast and “Sailing By” to late-night news, drama, cricket coverage, and rural broadcasting, the service has been part of British life for decades.

Now, that era is finally coming to an end.

The BBC has confirmed that Radio 4 Longwave will officially close on 27 June 2026, ending almost a century of longwave broadcasting from the famous Droitwich transmitter network. The shutdown marks one of the most significant changes in UK radio broadcasting in recent years.

The BBC says the closure is due to ageing infrastructure and declining listener numbers. The longwave transmission equipment is reaching the end of its operational life, and maintaining or replacing it is no longer considered financially viable for a licence fee-funded broadcaster.

Longwave radio has always been different from FM or DAB. Broadcasting on 198 kHz allows signals to travel enormous distances, especially at night and over sea water. That made Radio 4 LW particularly important for:

• sailors and fishermen
• rural communities
• listeners in remote areas
• older radios and emergency listening
• UK listeners travelling across Europe

Many people could still hear Radio 4 Longwave hundreds of miles away from Britain. Drivers travelling through France, Spain, or Italy often found 198 kHz was one of the last reliable UK radio signals available.

The heart of the network has long been the historic Droitwich transmitting station in Worcestershire, first commissioned in 1934. Together with relay transmitters at Burghead and Westerglen in Scotland, it created near-national longwave coverage for the UK.

For radio enthusiasts, the closure is especially emotional because longwave has been woven into British culture for decades. Few broadcasts are as iconic as the Shipping Forecast, often introduced by the gentle orchestral piece “Sailing By”. Even people who never needed maritime weather forecasts listened for comfort, nostalgia, or simply tradition.

The Shipping Forecast itself is not disappearing, but the dedicated longwave platform carrying it is. The BBC says Radio 4 programming will continue on:

• FM radio
• DAB digital radio
• television platforms such as Freesat and Sky
• online streaming
• BBC Sounds within the UK

However, some campaigners argue these are not true replacements for longwave. Unlike internet radio or mobile apps, longwave works over vast areas with very little infrastructure and remains usable during some emergencies or network outages.

There has also been concern about older electricity meters using the Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS), which piggybacked on the longwave signal. These meters were used for Economy 7 and similar off-peak tariffs. The BBC says this system is managed by the energy industry rather than the broadcaster itself, and affected users should contact their electricity supplier.

In reality, the longwave service has been slowly winding down for years. Test Match Special moved away from longwave in 2023, while Radio 4 medium wave relay transmitters closed during 2024. Dedicated longwave opt-out programming has also largely disappeared.

Despite the decline, around 90,000 listeners are still believed to use the longwave service regularly. Online campaigns and petitions have attempted to save it, arguing that the BBC is abandoning an important part of Britain’s broadcasting heritage.

For many listeners, the final shutdown on 27 June 2026 will feel like the end of a uniquely British institution. Longwave radio has survived wars, technological revolutions, and the rise of television, satellite, streaming, and podcasts.

But after nearly 100 years on air, the famous 198 kHz signal is finally preparing to fall silent.