Medium wave (MW) is the part of the medium frequency (MF) radio band used mainly for AM radio broadcasting. The spectrum provides about 120 channels with more limited sound quality than FM stations on the FM broadcast band. During the daytime, reception is usually limited to more local stations, though this is dependent on the signal conditions and quality of radio receiver used. Improved signal propagation at night allows the reception of much longer distance signals. This can cause increased interference because on most channels multiple transmitters operate simultaneously worldwide. In addition, amplitude modulation (AM) is often more prone to interference by various electronic devices, especially power supplies and computers. Strong transmitters cover larger areas than on the FM broadcast band but require more energy and longer antennas. Digital modes are possible but have not reached momentum yet.
In radio, longwave, long wave or long-wave, and commonly abbreviated LW, refers to parts of the radio spectrum with wavelengths longer than what was originally called the medium-wave broadcasting band. The term is historic, dating from the early 20th century, when the radio spectrum was considered to consist of longwave (LW), medium-wave (MW), and short-wave (SW) radio bands. Most modern radio systems and devices use wavelengths which would then have been considered 'ultra-short'.
The Crystal Palace transmitting station, officially known as Arqiva Crystal Palace, is a broadcasting and telecommunications site in the Crystal Palace area of the London Borough of Bromley, England. It is located on the site of the former television station and transmitter operated by John Logie Baird from 1933.
The Roumoules transmitter is the main broadcasting facility for longwave and mediumwave broadcasting of Radio Monte Carlo near Roumoules, France and is owned by Monaco Media Diffusion. The 1000 and 2000kW transmitters installed are among the most powerful in the world and can be received well at nighttime throughout Europe.
The Mühlacker Broadcasting Transmission Facility is a radio transmission facility near Mühlacker, Germany, first put into service on November 21, 1930. It uses two guyed steel tube masts as aerials and one guyed steel framework mast, which are insulated against ground. It has two transmission aerials for shortwave and one free standing steel framework tower for directional radio services. The shortwave transmitter was shut off on October 19, 2004. The medium wave transmitter was switched off in January 2012.
The Langenberg transmission tower is a broadcasting station for ananlog FM Radio and Digital-TV signals. It is located in Langenberg, Velbert, Germany and owned and operated by Westdeutscher Rundfunk, WDR.
The mediumwave transmitter Flevoland was a broadcasting facility for medium wave near Zeewolde in the province of Flevoland, Netherlands, situated at 5°25′ E and 52°23′ N. It has been used for broadcasting on 747 kHz and 1008 kHz with a nominal power of 400 kilowatts. As aerial two guyed steel framework masts with a height of 195 metres are used, which form an anti-fading aerial. These masts are grounded and carry a cage aerial, which is upperward the separation insulator, separating the masts in a height of 95 metres in two parts, connected toward the mast construction. The radiation diagram is directional, with a maximum gain of 4 dB in South-Eastern direction, to compensate for the variation in electrical admittance of terrain in the Netherlands.
The Orlunda longwave transmitter was a longwave broadcast facility in central Sweden which broadcast Sveriges Radio Programme 1 from 1962 to 1991. The facility is currently in use as a museum.
Rampisham Down is a chalk hill in the Dorset Downs, eight miles north west of Dorchester in west Dorset, England. The highest part of the hill is 221 metres (720 feet). To the north east of the hill is the Frome valley and the village of Rampisham, to the south west is the Hooke valley and the village of Hooke. The A356 road between Dorchester and Crewkerne cuts across the down.
The Orfordness transmitting station was a major radio broadcasting facility at Orford Ness on the Suffolk coast in the United Kingdom able to broadcast to much of Europe. It closed in May 2012 after more than 30 years of service. In 2017 Radio Caroline started broadcasting from the site, though not with the same intended coverage of an audience in Europe as the original station.
The Brookmans Park transmitting station is a facility for medium wave (MW) broadcasting at Brookmans Park, Hertfordshire, north of London. The station was built in the 1920s by the BBC as the first of a network of regional dual transmitter stations, replacing the city-based ones used previously, and this was to cover the Home Counties, London and South East. The station is now owned by Arqiva and transmits BBC Radio 5 Live, talkSPORT, Absolute Radio and Lyca Radio.
The RKS Liblice 2 are two 355 m (1,165 ft) tall guyed masts located east of Prague near Liblice, in close proximity of the RKS Liblice 1. These lattice steel towers are built 120 m (390 ft) apart from each other, what formed a slightly directional radiation pattern directed towards Spanish Madrid transmitter on the same frequency. The masts carry a special anti-fading cage aerials. Designed by Jan Šťovíček, these supertall towers currently stand as the tallest towers in the world used for broadcasting in the medium-wave range. RKS Liblice-2 was built in 1976, and is used for broadcasting on 639 kHz, with a period of inactivity from January 2022 to September 2023. During construction, two new transmitter devices of the type Tesla SRV 750 with an output power of 750 kW were installed. At first, these transmitters were switched in parallel for a transmission power of 1500 kW, after 1990 only 750 kW was used for broadcasting. Since 2023, the transmitter broadcasts with only 20 kW of power, a significant lowering. The old transmitter device was replaced with a semiconductor type TRAM one.
The Wiederau transmitter is the oldest broadcasting facility in Saxony. It is located near Wiederau, a village which is part of the municipality of Pegau, and is used for medium-wave, FM and Television broadcasting.
The Lisnagarvey transmitting station is a facility for mediumwave broadcasting located in the townland of Magherageery, on the southern edge of Lisburn, Northern Ireland. It is close to Sprucefield shopping centre and about one mile from the middle of Lisburn.
The Ashton Moss transmitting stations are two independent facilities for medium wave broadcasting near Ashton Moss, an area of Tameside in Greater Manchester. They are approximately 3⁄4 mile (1.2 km) apart.
KREA is a commercial AM radio station in Honolulu, Hawaii. It is owned by JMK Communications and airs a Korean radio format, billing itself on-air as "Hawaii Radio Seoul".
ABC North and West SA is a local radio station based in Port Pirie, South Australia, owned by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Its callsign is 5CK and is transmitted on the AM band from high power transmitters situated near Crystal Brook.
Santa Palomba transmitter is a facility of RAI, used for medium-wave broadcasting near Santa Palomba at 41°42′13″N12°34′50″E. It works on 846 kHz and 1332 kHz. On the first frequency, it can be easily received throughout Europe at night time.
Washford transmitting station is a medium wave broadcasting station and low-power digital terrestrial television relay near Washford, Somerset.
The Daventry transmitting station was a major broadcasting facility located on Borough Hill on the outskirts of Daventry, Northamptonshire. It operated from 1925 until 1992, carrying long-wave, medium-wave, and short-wave broadcasts at different times in its history. In its heyday the site had more than 40 masts and towers on an antenna field extending over hundreds of acres. Since 1992, only DAB services have been broadcast from the site using a single mast. All other antennas have been demolished.
