A survey has been launched to evaluate the value of RTÉ Radio 1 on longwave to the Irish community in Britain.
Irish radio station RTÉ Radio 1 is available in much of the UK on 252 kHz. It is the most listened to station in Ireland and broadcasts news, current affairs, sport, music and other entertainment programmes.
Although Radio 1 is available in the UK via satellite with Sky, Freesat and free-to-air as well as online many listeners in the UK still use their longwave radios to receive the station. The Irish broadcaster had proposed launching on DAB digital radio in the UK in the unsuccessful Listen2Digital bid earlier this year.
According to an introduction to the survey, it is “being conducted to help the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Ireland, RTÉ and the organization Irish in Britain to find out about the value of RTÉ Radio 1 on Long Wave to the Irish community in Britain.”
“The findings will be published in a public report on listenership to RTÉ Radio 1 on Longwave Radio in Britain.”
Broadcasts of Radio 1 started on longwave in 2004 after Atlantic 252 and Teamtalk 252 closed. RTÉ announced their intention to cease longwave broadcasts in 2014, but after public pressure this was postponed to 2015 to give listeners more time to switch to satellite or online streams. The closure has been postponed again until 2017.
The survey can be completed online (https://jfe.qualtrics.com/form/SV_cMY5YAORn9Rge8Z).