Droitwich transmitting station

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Droitwich Transmitting Station, Wychbold

The Droitwich transmitting station is a large broadcasting facility for longwave and mediumwave transmissions, established in 1934 in the civil parish of Dodderhill, just outside the village of Wychbold, which is near Droitwich, Worcestershire, England (grid reference SO929663). This transmission site is the location of the British Broadcasting Corporation's most powerful longwave transmitter, which together with the two Scottish longwave transmitters at Burghead and Westerglen forms part of a network broadcasting on the same frequency. This frequency was 200 kHz until 1989 and is now 198 kHz. The carrier frequency is controlled by a rubidium atomic frequency standard in the transmitter building, enabling the transmission to be used as an off-air frequency standard. The Radio 4 LW signal from Droitwich is by far the strongest in the UK, covering most of England and Wales. There are supplementary medium-wave transmitters in London, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The BBC had wanted to drop Radio 4 on LW, but was forced to retreat after widespread criticism from long-wave 'die-hards' (including listeners in Ireland and Northern France).

A number of items in the BBC Radio 4 schedule are carried on the longwave frequency only: these include The Daily Service at 0945–1000 on Mondays to Fridays, the Shipping Forecast at 1201–1204 daily and 1754–1757 on Mondays to Fridays, and Test Match Special during international cricket games.

The Radio 4 LW signal also carries radio data encoded using phase modulation, giving a time-of-day signal, and control signals for Economy 7 electric heating systems.

For the long-wave transmission, a T-aerial is used, which is suspended between two 700 ft (213.4 metre) high guyed steel lattice masts, which are 600 ft (182.9 metres ) apart from each other.

When driving north up the M5 motorway, the masts are close by on the right hand side, between Droitwich and Bromsgrove. At night, the two sets of aircraft warning lights are visible from a long distance.

Furthermore there are two guyed mast radiators at the site, which are used for transmitting AM medium-wave radio programmes on 693 kHz, 1053 kHz and 1215 kHz. Radio Five Live is broadcast on 693 kHz, which apart from Brookmans Park and Moorside Edge, is one of the strongest signals in the UK, covering most of the Midlands and Wales.

The station, 198 kHz, BBC Radio 4, can be received on the flight deck with the ADF nav receiver while flying the North Atlantic (NAT) as far west as 30°W.

The station is owned and operated by National Grid Wireless.