Shipping Movements

A little bit of radio broadcasting history happens today as, for the first time since 1956, there will no longer four shipping forecasts a day. This is all part of the plan to decommission Radio 4’s long wave transmitter (see note) and to acknowledge that those at sea are more likely to get their information electronically, e.g. NAVTEX.  

It was in April 1956, Sunday 22^nd to be precise, that the BBC and the Met Office reorganised the broadcasting of the shipping forecast so that it would be heard on 1500m long wave on the Light Programme. Prior to that, since its resumption after the war, it had been carried on the medium wave (and VHF) frequencies of the Home Service as part of their mixed shipping and general weather bulletins.

Those initial Light Programme dedicated shipping forecasts were heard at 7.45am, 1.40pm (12 noon on Sunday), 5.58pm (7.28pm on Sunday) and 12 midnight.  By the end of the decade the first bulletin was an hour earlier at 6.45am. By the mid-60s with the extension of broadcasting hours the forecasts were at 6.45am, 1.55pm (11.55am on Sunday), 5.58pm and 2.02am. The Sunday 11.55am bulletin, just before Family Favourites, was on long wave only whilst listeners on VHF heard a 5-minute pre-recorded programme preview called Good Listening.

Radio Times (23 March 2024) on the long wave changes

By 1974 Radio 2 had forecasts at 6.33am, 1.55pm (11.55am on Sunday), 5.55pm and 12.33am. A year later the VHF alternative of Good Listening was now heard twice on a Sunday and during each weekday’s afternoon forecast.

Following the wavelength reshuffle in November 1978 the forecasts came over to Radio 4 and were initially heard at 6.25am, 1.55pm, 5.50pm and 12.15am. The last ships moved to its now familiar 12.48am position in 1995 and the afternoon reading shifted to 12 noon in 1998. The early morning forecast moved progressively earlier to 5.55am, 5.35am and finally 5.20am on 24 April 2006.

Here's the last weekday 5.54pm forecast on long wave only from 29 March 2024 read by Al Ryan. The early evening forecast will continue on all frequencies on Saturday and Sunday.

Here's the last long wave only forecast read at 12 noon on 31 March 2024 by Ron Brown.

The other programme on the move today is the Daily Service, one of BBC radio’s longest-running programmes, dating back to January 1928. On Radio 4 the 15 minute service has always been broadcast mid-morning with times varying between 10.00am, 10.15am, 10.30am and, since April 1998, on long wave only at 9.45am. Today it makes the move over to Radio 4 Extra, which at least suggests that station has got a reprieve. Yesterday in Parliament is also due to move to 4 Extra though parliament is in the Easter recess at the moment.  Cricket fans will be able to hear Test Match Special on Radio 5 Sports Extra and on BBC Sounds.  

Note: The closure of the long wave is now likely to be June 2025 due to the requirement to move about 900,000 households and businesses from older Economy 7 electricity meters that rely on the Radio Teleswitching Service (RTS) that is carried on the LW transmitter. As well as the Droitwich transmitter the Radio 4 long wave broadcasts are provided at Burghead and Westerglen to cover Scotland and Northern Ireland. Radio 4’s medium wave transmitters will close on 15 April 2024. The affected transmitters are: Crystal Palace 720 kHz, Redmoss 1449 kHz, Enniskillen 774 kHz, Lisnagarvey 720 kHz, Carlisle 1485 kHz, Wrekenton 603 kHz, Plumer Barracks 774 kHz, Redruth 756 kHz and Londonderry 720 kHz.