BBC shuts Radio 5 Live from Redruth transmitter on 31 July 2026
Radio 5 Live will stop broadcasting from the Redruth transmitter on 31 July 2026. Listeners in the Truro Area are being told to retune their radios to 693 Medium Wave or switch to other ways of listening.
Those options include DAB digital radio, television, online listening at /radio5live, the Sounds app, or a smart speaker request for Radio 5 Live. The says its local and national radio services are carried on local commercial DAB multiplexes, but there may not be a commercial DAB service in every area.
Truro Area listeners
For people who still rely on the Redruth transmitter, the most direct step is to move to 693 Medium Wave. The also says most DAB radios can be tuned at the touch of a button, although some sets need a full scan.
Portable radios may need their telescopic aerial fully extended, and the says an externally mounted aerial can be attached to many DAB portable radio and hi-fi systems. It also says a good-quality DAB-specific aerial is needed for DAB reception.
reception advice
The ’s help page goes beyond the Redruth change and points listeners to a transmitter checker tool for local DAB coverage. If reception is poor in a good coverage area, the says listeners should try the Problem Assistant.
The same guidance notes that poor reception may simply reflect weak coverage. It also says DAB reception is rarely disrupted by high-pressure weather, though very distant transmitters can sometimes cause reception to break up or disappear for periods of time.
Coverage and interference
The says LED lights can interfere with DAB and FM reception, and that a basement flat or a steel-framed or reinforced-concrete building may affect coverage. Because DAB uses different frequencies from FM radio, the listening change may require a separate retune rather than a simple FM adjustment.
For Truro Area listeners, the practical choice is straightforward: retune to 693 Medium Wave or move to digital, online, television, app, or smart-speaker listening before the Redruth transmitter switch takes effect.
