talkSPORT asks to turn off seven of its 18 AM radio transmitters across the UK

National speech radio station talkSPORT wants to turn off seven of its 18 transmitters.

The move would reduce its national AM radio coverage from 92% to 88.9% of the UK adult population.

Ofcom says it is minded to approve the request, and wanted to let the industry know it is minded to make similar decisions should any other broadcaster ask to reduce AM coverage.

The transmitter sites talkSPORT is requesting to close are; Clipstone (Nottinghamshire), Duxhurst (Surrey), Lisnagarvey (in County Antrim, Northern Ireland), Lydd (Kent), Stockton (Durham/North Yorkshire), Southwick/Brighton (West Sussex) and Rusthall (Tunbridge Wells).

The reasons given by talkSPORT for these proposed changes include declining listenership to its AM service as people turn to alternative platforms, considered against the ongoing viability of each transmitter site.

“Before reaching a final decision we are giving stakeholders an opportunity to make comments on the request and our provisional decision. This is because, if the changes are permitted, some listeners will lose their ability to receive talkSPORT on the AM (medium wave) band, and because other commercial radio stations might be interested in the approach that we are minded to take in this case,” Ofcom said.

The talkSPORT broadcasting licence was initially awarded by an auction process in July 1994 to Talk Radio UK, and has subsequently been renewed on three occasions.

The station will remain available nationally on DAB and other platforms.

Absolute Radio, which held the only other national AM licence for commercial radio, switched off all its transmitters in January 2023 and was fined £25,000 for doing so.