Sad day. End of Gold Radio.

[hannahs radios]

Hi iI have been hearing announcments the last few days saying that Gold Radio on medium wave is closing being replaced by something callled Smooth Radio playing relaxing music. When this happens there will be nothing worth hearing on medium wave iI guess iI'll retire my radios. it's sad that there will be nothing to hear anymore.

GOODBYE MEDIUM WAVE WE WILL MISS YOU.

[Nickthedentist]

Get yourself an SSTran MW transmitter. Not quite the same, but at least you'd get to hear what you want on your vintage sets.

[harvestgold]

We lost our local Gold station here a while ago, it was replaced by Free 80s, which isn't really my thing. I can still get the transmission from Gloucester, although the reception's not the greatest here especially after dark! The less said about Smooth radio, the better in my opinion, although others may like it, of course.

I keep my old sets alive with a Raspberry Pi streaming "Solid Gold Gem AM" through an iTrip FM transmitter and an SStran AM transmitter when I want a MW set working. The power consumption of the Rasperry Pi and transmitter is very low and it's great to be able to hear something I really enjoy (with no adverts!).

[Alan Stepney]

I too heard about the end of Gold (or as it used to be known here, 2CR).
It is the station I use as background whilst I am in my workshop, or doing tedious tasks (such as housework).
I dont know what I will do when it ends, but time will tell.

One major point is that the change is likely to lose the station many advertisers, and hence revenue, which makes me wonder if it might be reversed in the future.

[mark pirate]

I have just checked the website, see this page:http://www.mygoldmusic.co.uk/Article...d=486495&spid=

I will certainly miss it, as there is nothing left worth listening to on medium wave
I wonder when the BBC will remove our local station (BBC Sussex)?

Mark

[Sideband]

It seems London will be spared closure if I understand that report correctly...at least for the moment. Time to build a 'pantry transmitter' connected to a freesat box so I can continue to enjoy Gold on the AM radio's should the day arrive.


Rich

[Andrew2]

I tend not to listen to Gold much these days, as it seems to be the same few hundred records on a loop. Years ago hearing a classic 60's record on the radio was a real treat, but it's getting a bit washed-out now.
I'd quite like a station that played 'relaxing music', although it depends exactly what they mean. I remember visiting friends in Southend back in the 90's and they listened to Melody FM which I found very good. The music and particularly the low-key presentation reminded me of (the best of) the old Light Programme.

[paulsherwin]

Commercial stations target specific demographic profiles which appeal to advertisers, and lots of oldies stations are switching to a late 70s / early 80s format which appeals to people now in their 50s. Advertisers have little interest in people over 60 as they spend little on consumer products and are resistant to marketing spin.

[Glowing Bits!]

Does this mean that Gold 1260 from the Farndon transmitter will no longer put out Gold? If so, the Grandparents next door will have nothing to listen to, apart from their CD collection.

I hope Radio Wales stays put for now, it's about the only other thing worth listening to on MW, unless the BBC have plans to turn it off as part of their budget cuts!

['LIVEWIRE?']

I guess it's all to do with the passage of time. After all 1980 is now 34 years ago! Personally I would like to hear more 1950s and early 1960s music on the radio (Bring back SAGA radio!)but I know it's unlikely to happen. Thank heavens for Bill Kenwright's occasional series on Radio 2, and for Roger Day's Sunday Night show on BBC South East, which is an hour of 60s music followed by an hour of 50s discs. These programmes are mostly only on VHF & DAB, although some BBC local stations still have MW Transmitters.

[colly0410]

See they are still going in the Nottingham area, don't know what I'd listen to in the car if (or is it when) Gold shut down

[AC/HL]

It's Digital of course, but your Grandparents would probably like "Absolute 60s" as an alternative, if it broadcasts in their area.

[Restoration73]

It's a pity the audio on the London 1548 transmitter is not what it was. The concept of the UK oldies station started I thought in 1983 with the pirate station Radio Sovereign in West London.

Within a few years virtually every ILR station had separate MW and FM programming.

['LIVEWIRE?']

One of the first 'golden oldie' programmes I remember hearing was on Severn Sound radio from Gloucester, then on 773kHz, about 30 years ago, presented by Mike Longley, on Suinday Mornings. In those days Severn had a variety programmes especially at weekends
Whilst typing this I'm listening to 'Sounds of the 60's!

[Stuart R]

Originally Posted by mark pirate

....I wonder when the BBC will remove our local station (BBC Sussex)?

I'm sure that day will come. Back in November 2012, we noticed the BBC were having a week-long trial of removing selected local radio stations from MW, replacing the programmes with a "Please retune to FM or DAB" message. (Sussex wasn't one of them, Mark) They were interested in listener feedback -I wonder what the outcome was?

How high is MW on their cost savings agenda when this week they have announced the chop for a Digital TV Channel (BBC3) in favour of on-line distribution only?

I enjoy Gold when tootling about in the Herald, but this is a reminder to take a look at the car radio FM section and then back to Radio 2....

[Mr Moose]

Hello,

Looking on the internet the reason for this seems to be a regulatory issue.
Some time ago the group that owns Gold took over another radio company. This gave them over 50% of the market, so other radio groups complained and the matter was refered to the Competition Commission who required the group that owns Gold to give up some of its stations. They are keeping Gold running in some larger areas but giving up most of the smaller ones to Smooth Radio to meet this requirement.

Yours, Richard

[Junk Box Nick]

I give my Racal 117 a run out on MW and mainly listened to 1152 though I could get the 990 Gold just off the dial. These have now become Free Radio 80s which seems to be an 80s juke box with an announcement every five or six records.

I listen to BBC Hereford & Worcester on 738 on a 1960s Philips Popmaster (with original AF117s!). Radio Wales on 882 is a reasonable signal.

The problem with MW for me is that when my next door neighbour turns on either a computer, big screen telly or a digital summat, I get such a massive square wave up the mains that only Virgin on the Racal will beat it. Only Radio 5 is listenable in these conditions on my other modernish mains powered sets. I can still hear BBC H&W on the (Battery) Philips but it is necessary to position it well away from any mains wiring. Using a small tuned loop alongside it's a nice signal for a 17w tx 25 miles away.

As for commercial radio, it's a race to the bottom. Given the reception problems on MW and the ever thinner advertising cake I can't see many of these outlets lasting much longer. With a computer loaded up with a couple of hundred songs, ads, and a few voicetracked links, they can't be run much more cheaply than they are now.

I miss Classic Hits Worcester on 1530 (954 Hereford) Given it had a coverage area of just Hereford & Worcester it was a half decent station with a nice personality.

[G6Tanuki]

It does seem that MW/LW is rapidly sliding towards broadcasting irrelevance: I had to suffer a tinny front-wheel-drive 1.5-litre Renault as a hire-car a while back - its radio offered me a choice of FM or DAB. Neither of which offered program-choice.

[Fortunately I had packed my 5-watt Standard/Yaesu 2-metre handheld and a 5/8-wave magmount to occupy the journey.]

Still, if in the future 'The Powers That Be' force current stations off FM and on to DAB, that frees up more spectrum-space for the 'undocumented' broadcasters to take over - and I'm sure they will oblige with some bangin' choons to fill the void.

[Junk Box Nick]

FM will be around for a long time, especially given that cars can easily have a life of 20 years and have radios to match, and much radio listening is done in the car. The problem will be the choice and quality of stations available but in the commercial sphere that will be down to (diminishing) revenue.

As for MW, with large masts and infrastructure to maintain and listener numbers that must be far below FM I can see MW being a barren land very soon.

Radio Wales may well remain given the nature of the Welsh terrain it probably makes sense to keep MW rather than put an FM and/or DAB up every valley, many of which will be fairlty sparsely populated.

[mark pirate]

I fear that MW is on it's deathbed, there are only three or four English stations left that can be received here, FM is the only choice for regular listening, DAB signal is pretty poor here as well

I am old enough to remember how good MW reception and sound quality was, also it was packed with stations back then.

I have been listening to Gold all day on my beloved & battered Bush TR82B, while working in the garage. It will be interesting to see if the London signal makes it here once the local transmitter is switched over to Smooth radio.

Mark