Save the wave: RTÉ longwave 252 and the ageing Irish diaspora in the United Kingdom

Abstract

Despite radio’s increased digitalization over the past two decades, Ireland’s public service broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ) disseminates a transmission of its flagship Radio 1 service across Ireland and the United Kingdom via the longwave 252 kHz (LW252) facility ‐ a service that is enjoyed largely by the elderly members of the Irish diaspora. The proposed shutdown of this longwave service was met with anger and consternation from listeners who rely on the service as their ‘connection to home’. LW252 offers expats news, public discourse and cultural content that helps shape listeners’ cultural identity that can become strained or eroded over time. Drawing from interviews with audience members, this article offers an examination of transnational radio audiences to better understand the value of engagement with mediatic services and the benefits derived. The article highlights the immense sociocultural importance of radio’s output and offers recommendations for how RTÉ can shift audiences to digital alternatives.