01.03.2023
How Putin killed the romance of radio
The cost of keeping AM services running has surged since Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, which sent global energy prices soaring. Climbing electricity costs have forced some stations to reassess whether they really need AM channels anymore. Around three-quarters of energy use in the UK radio industry comes from power-hungry analogue broadcasts, despite the fact that the majority of listening is digital. Radio expert James Cridland says TalkSport’s AM transmission in London uses 100 times more energy than that of Capital FM, for example. Estimations of how much transmitters cost to run vary, but Absolute is thought to be saving at least £1m a year by shutting down its AM service.
(Daily Telegraph (£)) Read more