Monday, March 14, 2011

Fond Farewell to BBC 648 kHz



I have been cleaning up a video archive and came across raw video I shot in Ordfordness in 2003 and decided to finish the job. It turns out to be topical because the BBC ceased using 648 kHz, which originates from a transmitter site there, as from March 27th 2011. UPDATE:I can confirm that the BBC has indeed vacated the channel.


This video safari will never be shown on mainstream TV - it is designed for those of us in radio who enjoy the details of high-frequency engineering. This edition, therefore, assumes you're interested in what makes these places tick. I particularly like Ordfordness because of the history of the place - it is where radar experiments started during the Second World War. 

There are frequent references to a BBC transmitter site in Crowborough, Sussex. This was the home of the most powerful transmitter in the world during the 2nd World War, nicknamed Aspidistra after the song by Gracie Fields. On my audio vault you can hear more. 

My thanks to Andy Matheson for the hospitality so many years ago. What passionate people they are!

2 comments:

marco barsotti said...

Wonderful and informative.

I've read that BBC is reconsidering the decision to shut it down....

PS: I miss Media Netrwork!!

Unknown said...

Thank you. Came accross your nice video while enquiring on what happened to 648 khz. Easy access to BBC world service was a true breath of fresh air!! Hpe they reconsider the closure.

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