Extract from Ofcom Priorities document
3.89 LONG WAVE

In our February 2026 Consultation we did not consider or include the possibility of new
Long Wave licensing in our priorities.
What respondents said

Since the BBC announced that it was closing down BBC Radio 4 operations on the Long
Wave frequency, Ofcom received response requesting opportunities to utilise this
frequency.101 This response explained that a specific service can run the 198kHz frequency
more economically with a revised transmitter which would run “more energy efficient
operating costs”.102 This response also explained that there remains audience demand for a
service targeting the older audience demographic (it cited that BBC Radio 4 continued to
receive listening figures of over 100,000 on Long Wave alone, but the document itself
provided no citation of a BBC document confirming this figure). It also said that research
the response cited (but did not specifically provide a copy of) would demonstrate that there
remain 60 million older radio receivers which would be capable of picking up the 198kHz
frequency.

Our response
The frequency being discussed by stakeholders for Long Wave licensing is 198kHz, which has always been used by the BBC for the broadcast of Radio 4 and has never been used commercially. In other words, neither Ofcom nor its predecessors has ever had to advertise licences to use this specific piece of spectrum for broadcasting. We are mindful of the clear audience shift to access radio primarily across FM, DAB and online (as referenced
above), alongside the high costs of providing such a service to what would likely be a very limited audience. We therefore do not consider that designing a new licensing frame-work to provide opportunities to apply for a licence for broadcasting on 198kHz should be a priority for Ofcom to deliver in the short-to-medium term.
As outlined above, according to RAJAR, analogue listening continues to decline with audiences consuming more audio content on DAB and online.105
We do not currently consider that licensing a new national Long Wave service is the most effective way of using our resources to help to meet the needs and interests of audiences across the UK in the short-to-medium term. While we acknowledge that the confidential respondent asserts that the operating costs they are considering would be more
economical,106 we are also aware that the maintenance costs for Long Wave transmitters
are likely to be significant. However, no authoritative public estimate has been identified
for the cost of maintaining and operating Long Wave transmitters such as those which were
used to carry BBC Radio 4.
Public reporting on the closure of the BBC Radio 4 Long Wave service has instead focused on the ageing transmission infra-structure, increasing difficulty of maintaining the equipment and the continued migration of audiences to other platforms such as FM and DAB digital platforms. Ofcom considers that these all remain relevant factors to indicate that it is incredibly challenging to provide a credible business model to demonstrate that any prospective stakeholder would be able to sustain such a service. Further, Ofcom would need to determine an effective process for licensing this piece of spectrum and then consult on a new licensing framework, similar to the process we are confirming we will not be completing for local commercial radio. Any work in this area would consequentially use significant resources and impact Ofcom’s ability to respond to the other areas of our licensing priorities as set out in our February 2026 Consultation.

We also note that, other than the one response received to the Consultation and a very limited amount of correspondence Ofcom has received outside of the Consultation relating to potential uses of the Long Wave frequency, there has not been any further interest or demand shown in this area or support for these services from an audience perspective.