Dorset World Service site may shut after 70 years

RAMPISHAM’S radio transmission station may close before Christmas with the loss of more than 20 jobs, even though it’s currently broadcasting into Libya.

The proposed shutdown of the Dorset site follows the BBC’s decision earlier this year to cut back on World Service shortwave broadcasting and stop it altogether by 2014, even though nearly half of the World Service’s audience (184 million in 2010-11) listens via shortwave.

Ful story at :
http://www.realwestdorset.co.uk/wordpress/08/2011/dorset-bbc-world-service-rampisham-radio-transmitting-station-closure-threat/

Rampisham transmitter site to close by Christmas

........................Naleen Kumar at Rampisham transmitter site, April 2011

from BECTU Union website 18 August 2011:

Babcock Engineering has announced plans to close the Rampisham transmitter site by Christmas 2011. BECTU members at the Rampisham transmitter site in Dorset run by Babcock Engineering were shocked to learn yesterday (17 August) of plans to close the facility by Christmas with the loss of 19 jobs.
Staff across the UK had been expecting bad news after the decision by BBC World Service in January this year to sharply reduce the number of hours of shortwave broadcasting and to end it altogether by 2014.
Despite this advance warning, yesterday's announcement still came as a shock. The company also plans to close three posts at the Woofferton site in Shropshire with four at Orford Ness in Suffolk also at risk of closure.
An initial meeting between BECTU representatives and management took place yesterday; the consultation period is due to end on 19 September.
Assistant general secretary Luke Crawley said: "The loss of 19 jobs at Rampisham and seven elsewhere in the network will come as a terrible blow to our members. We have already pressed the management to do everything they can to minimise the impact including offering redeployment and retraining where appropriate. Transmission members will note with regret that this announcement will also end seventy years of shortwave broadcasting from Rampisham."
More at : http://www.bectu.org.uk/news/1313
(Alan Pennington via DXLD list)