The frequency changes in November 1978 may have moved frequencies by 2kHz but it also saw a change of slot for many BBC National Radio stations - Radio 4 took over the old Radio 2 Long Wave position, while Radio 3 took over Radio 1's famous 247 wavelength.

There was even a song about it.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbSMMNVOT0o

 
It is particularly the end of an era as it is the last west European long wave service to close. The nearest I can find still operating are in Poland, Romania, and north Africa. The last age of the era started in 1988, when the relay transmitters at Burghhead and Westerglen opened. At the same time all the national allocated frequencies shifted (mostly by 2 kHz) and the wavelengths became unround numbers (so not 1500 M, but still 1.5 km). 

I remember that as Westerglen was close enough I could see it while diving to work. At the time I was listening to France Inter from Allouis (164/162 kHz), which was swamped by local competition until I worked out how to exclude it. Allouis's transmitter power got up to 2 Mz by then, but the electricity bills for what was essentially a cloud heater became too much and it was turned down, and then off in 2016 (there is now a time signal).

In the pre-internet age it was the most reliable way to listen to other European countries' radios, without the complexity of receiving on short wave (which was not domestic services in any case).

 
It did get a mention on the previous night's 6 o'clock news but it's disappointing that they didn't mark it at least in a quiet way at the time. I was away from home without access to a LW radio so didn't tune in, but I'm glad I hadn't made a special effort given the lack of any real farewell.

 
The end of 1500m Long Wave feels like the end of an era.  Many happy and some not-so-happy times shared with Radio 4, including the start and end of broadcast times.

 
At 01:00 this morning, 27th June 2026, Radio 4 transmissions on 198kHz (long wave) ceased.

There was no special ceremony; just the usual end of day: "Sailing by" introducing the shipping forecast; the National Anthem; the time signal.

A few seconds silence, then a repeating closure information loop.

I decided to wallow in a bit of nostalgia (like a final train service day) and listened to this on a GEC transistor radio that is around 65 years old, like this one: https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/general_el_bc502bc_50.html

This same radio has been in the family since I was a tiny tot. It was with me at university and relayed the results of the 1979 election that brought Margaret Thatcher to power.

In the days of e-waste mountains, it is a testament to how long electronic equipment can last.