After 90 years, could this be the end of the Shipping Forecast?
FOR listeners at home, the ebb and flow of names provides the perfect preparation for their voyage to the land of nod.
And for those at sea, the weather warnings are vitally important.
But a cloud of doubt has been cast over the future of the Shipping Forecast after 90 years on the airwaves.
A former presenter of the much-loved BBC Radio 4 broadcast has said the ‘days are numbered’ for the transmitter which delivers the forecast out to sea.
Peter Jefferson, who read the broadcast for more than 40 years, said the long-wave mast at Droitwich Transmitting Station in Worcestershire was likely to be ‘retired’. He added: ‘It’s very old and costs a lot to maintain. I think its days are numbered now.’ He said FM waves are ‘totally useless’ for sailors as they can only reach 12 miles away from land. Currently, the forecast uses both FM and long wave.
He added: ‘If long wave is retired, which might be the case, then I don’t know what will happen to the shipping forecast.’
Mr Jefferson, 70, who last read the forecast in 2009, told the Radio Times Festival yesterday that it is enjoyed by people whose ‘sleeping pills don’t work’.
Last night a spokesman for the UK Chamber of Shipping said the transmitter news was ‘deeply concerning’, adding: ‘The shipping forecast is a vital tool for the safety of ships operating in UK waters.’
J