Shipping Forecast

[SteveD]

Why do the BBC broadcast the Shipping Forecast on Radio 4 Long Wave?

Do mariners on the high seas tune in to "You & Yours" and "Woman's Hour" to find out whether there are going to be gales in the German Bight?

[mattvanduck]

longwaves operate under 500khz and do not reflect or refract like short and medium waves.

In addition, Royal Navy nuclear submarines carrying ballistic missiles are allegedly under standing orders to monitor the BBC Radio 4 transmission on 198 kHz in waters near the U.K. It is rumoured that they are to construe a sudden halt in transmission as an indicator that the U.K. is under attack, whereafter their sealed orders take effect.

hope this helps!! those boys underneath the waves love the womans hour!!!

[rja211077]

i think they might apply a few extra checks before launching the nukes - one would hate to think the Ruskies or whoever had been wiped out because a cleaner had unplugged the transmitter to plug her vacuum in