Alexandra Palace television station

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Alexandra Palace
Alexandra Palace mast.JPG
The transmission mast above the BBC wing of Alexandra Palace, photographed in 2001.
Greater London UK location map 2.svg
Red pog.svg
Alexandra Palace
Green pog.svg
Crystal Palace
Tower height65.5 metres (215 ft)
Coordinates 51°35′40″N0°07′45″W / 51.5944°N 0.1292°W / 51.5944; -0.1292
Grid reference TQ297901
Built1936
Relay of Crystal Palace
BBC region BBC London
ITV region ITV London
Local TV service London Live
Alexandra Palace television tower, June 2012. Alexandra Palace television tower.jpg
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 After the war, it was reused for television until 1956, when it was superseded by the opening of the BBC's new main transmitting station for the London area at Crystal Palace.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.

Contents

The transmitter is owned and maintained by Arqiva.

Channels listed by frequency

Analogue radio (FM)

FrequencykWService
103.3 MHz 0.05 London Greek Radio
107.1 MHz0.1 Capital Xtra

Digital radio (DAB)

FrequencyBlockkW [1] Operator
218.640 MHz11B0.2 DRG London
222.064 MHz11D2 Digital One
223.936 MHz12A0.1 Switch London
225.648 MHz12B3.2 BBC National DAB
227.360 MHz12C0.25 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]

FrequencyUHFkWOperatorSystem
554.000  MHz 310.07 BBC A DVB-T
602.000  MHz 370.07BBC B DVB-T2
562.000  MHz 320.07 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.

FrequencyUHFkWService
735.25  MHz 540.065 Channel 4
767.25  MHz 580.065 BBC1
791.25  MHz 610.065 ITV London
815.25  MHz 640.065 BBC2

References

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