I recently read an article about Denmark switching to digital broadcasting for TV and radio (like most of Northern Europe). although all the politicians from socialists to conservatives agreed on how to do it, when DR turned off their LF transmitter at 243 KHz (many broadcasters try to shut these things off to save the electricity bill as DAB makes it cheaper for them as and pushes the costs to the listener) many people protested and it was turned back on.

they tried a similar stunt in the UK claiming there were no more valves left for the BBC transmitter, only for about 500+ anoraks across Europe to point out the Germans still used them and could get Russia to make the valves, or if Auntie were really stuck they might have some stored away in their “junk box” (the hoard of components all radio/electronic enthusiasts have). Plus the signal is not just used for cricket broadcasts but to switch electric meters to night rate, it is also one of 3 signals that if they disappear from the air all at once, will set the alarm off in the wireless room of UK nuclear submarines, the commander is then instructed to assume that Blighty has been blown into ashes and open the sealed letter from David Cameron (which could be an instruction to set off the atomic bombs!)

However as expected DK use their LF transmission for more peaceful purposes, such as weather broadcasts for the sailors, some news and advice, and also this programme at 08:30 sharp called “krop og bevægelse”, which I think means “body and movement”. this appears is a programme of music to do light exercise to; in the UK we had a similar thing called “music and movement” but it was for infant school age kids (and presented by this old British granny lady and sounded more like something out of the 1950s).

according to some sources, the DR programme is not just for kids, but for adults/the whole country.

They do still do this in Japan, but it does make me think of some middle aged people going to the beach or the woods at some strange hour (irrespective of weather) and taking along with them some big metal cased radio receiver and loudspeaker units and 25 kg accus to listen to the broadcasts and perform these exercises (which would mean they got as more exercise from hauling this kit around). programmes such as this were more common in the Cold War era, (even the one we had as kids had to have all the music changed as much of it was about the Empire which we no longer had and wasn’t PC to talk about), the idea behind this was that everyone would be fit and healthy to deal with the Soviets/Germans or anyone else who might decide to invade (although they didn’t as they would also be doing the same thing in their country).

“Music and Movement” has recently returned to the BBC but as an online stream (for teachers to record and play back). For such a programme to be broadcast on LF in DK in the modern era would hint that the older generation wanted it to be there – are they still then doing their morning exercises? (it would be explain why so many of them seem to be more fit and healthy compared to the same age in the UK)

(This is the sort of kit they may have listened with, made in Denmark and it can also trigger the alarm on marine distress frequencies)