Alexandra Palace television station

Alexandra Palace

The transmission mast above the BBC wing of Alexandra Palace, photographed in 2001.
Alexandra Palace Crystal Palace
Tower height	65.5 metres (215 ft)
Coordinates	51°35′40″N0°07′45″W / 51.5944°N 0.1292°W / 51.5944; -0.1292
Grid reference	TQ297901
Built	1936
Relay of	Crystal Palace
BBC region	BBC London
ITV region	ITV London
Local TV service	London Live

Alexandra Palace television tower, June 2012.

The Alexandra Palace television station in North London (grid reference TQ297901 ) is the oldest television transmission site in the world. What was at the time called "high definition", (405-line) the world's first TV broadcasts on VHF were beamed from this mast from 1936 until the outbreak of World War II. It then lay dormant until it was used very successfully to foil the German Y-Gerät radio navigation system during the last stages of the Battle of Britain. After the war, it was reused for television until 1956, when it was superseded by the opening of the BBC's new main transmitting station for the London area at Crystal Palace. In 1982 Alexandra Palace became an active transmitting station again, with the opening of a relay transmitter to provide UHF television service to parts of North London poorly covered from Crystal Palace.

The transmitter is owned and maintained by Arqiva.

Channels listed by frequency

Analogue radio (FM)

Frequency	kW	Service
103.3 MHz	0.05	London Greek Radio
107.1 MHz	0.1	Capital Xtra

Digital radio (DAB)

Frequency	Block	kW [1]	Operator
218.640 MHz	11B	0.2	DRG London
222.064 MHz	11D	2	Digital One
223.936 MHz	12A	0.1	Switch London
225.648 MHz	12B	3.2	BBC National DAB
227.360 MHz	12C	0.25	CE London

Digital television

Digital television replaced the analogue television signals during the digital switchover of April 2012-2013. However, only 3 of the 6 multiplexes are available: BBC A & B and Digital 3&4.

BBC A launched on UHF 61 on 4 April on 2012, before moving to its final allocation of UHF 49 on 18 April, when BBC B and Digital 3&4 launched. As part of the 700 MHz clearance programme the UHF channel numbers were changed in March 2018. ^[2]

Frequency	UHF	kW	Operator	System
554.000  MHz	31	0.07	BBC A	DVB-T
602.000  MHz	37	0.07	BBC B	DVB-T2
562.000  MHz	32	0.07	Digital 3&4	DVB-T

Analogue television

Analogue television is no longer transmitted from Alexandra Palace. BBC Two was closed on UHF 64 on 4 April 2012, when ITV1 temporarily moved into its frequency. The remaining three analogue services closed down on 18 April 2012.

Frequency	UHF	kW	Service
735.25  MHz	54	0.065	Channel 4
767.25  MHz	58	0.065	BBC1
791.25  MHz	61	0.065	ITV London
815.25  MHz	64	0.065	BBC2

• Aerial group: C/D
• Polarisation: horizontal

References

1. Radio Listeners Guide 2010
2. digitaluk.co.uk

External links

• The Transmission Gallery: Photographs and Information