Woofferton: Shortwave transmitter station marks 80 years

Woofferton has been broadcasting international signals since 1943

An international transmitting station on the Shropshire-Herefordshire border is marking its 80th birthday.

Woofferton has been on-air since October 1943, when the BBC's international services were boosted during World War Two.

Former staff, local and broadcasting dignitaries have been invited to an event at the site on Tuesday.

A special shortwave broadcast is being made to mark the occasion.

The station's current operator, Encompass Digital Media, said it was important to mark the site's history.

"It was the last of the shortwave sites to be built in the UK," transmitter engineer Matt Porter told BBC Radio Shropshire.

"It was excellent at getting into Europe and further afield. With the escalation of the Cold War it became a Voice of America relay station."

'Beauty of shortwave'

Mr Porter explained that shortwave allows broadcasters to reach people across a wide area, keeping listeners in touch in conflict zones such as Ukraine, Syria and the Middle East, where broadcast services might be blocked.

"The beauty of shortwave is you can get it in from outside the target area. We can broadcast it in from this stable part of the world," he said.

The site was operated by BBC staff until transmission services were sold off in the 1990s.

But Woofferton still transmits BBC programmes, as well as those from Voice of America, Korean Broadcasting Service, and various commercial broadcasters.