Whitehawk Hill transmitting station

Last updated

Whitehawk Hill
Whitehawk Hill Transmitting Station (April 2013).JPG
East Sussex UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Whitehawk Hill
Location in East Sussex
Mast height45 m (148 ft)
Tower height55 m (182 ft)
Coordinates 50°50′N0°07′W / 50.83°N 0.11°W / 50.83; -0.11
Grid reference TQ32960452
Built1959
BBC region BBC South East
ITV region ITV Meridian (West)
Local TV service Latest TV

The Whitehawk Hill transmitting station (also known as the Whitehawk transmitting station) is a broadcasting and telecommunications facility located at Whitehawk, an eastern suburb of Brighton in the English city of Brighton and Hove. It is the city's main transmission facility for television and radio signals. [1] It broadcasts digital television, FM and DAB radio to the coastal city of Brighton and Hove and to surrounding areas along the Sussex coast including Shoreham-By-Sea, Worthing and as far as Seaford. It stopped broadcasting analogue television when the digital switchover occurred locally in March 2012.

Contents

Services broadcast include BBC One (South East), BBC Two, ITV1 (Meridian), Channel 4, BBC national radio stations, BBC Sussex and Heart South.

History

A radar station was opened on the high ground of Whitehawk Hill, to the east of central Brighton, during World War II. Meanwhile, television broadcasts first reached the town in 1953 when a relay transmitter was erected on Truleigh Hill, several miles to the west on the South Downs. [1] On 5 April 1959, after the wartime facility was demolished, a 148-foot (45 m) transmitter was opened at Whitehawk. It took a feed from the Crystal Palace transmitting station until 14 April 1962; after that, signals were relayed from the Rowridge transmitting station. The original VHF signal was accompanied by colour UHF transmissions from 21 September 1970 (BBC1 and BBC2 only) until the VHF 405-line TV transmissions from this site ceased in 1983. UHF signals for ITV and Channel 4 followed from 28 April 1972 and 17 May 1983 respectively. [1] Radio broadcasts started on 13 March 1967, in mono only; stereo transmissions commenced on 4 November 1972. From the beginning, signals were relayed from the Wrotham transmitting station; [1] this arrangement continues as of 2024. [2]

The original mast was replaced in 1983 by the present structure, which stood alongside it for a short time until the earlier mast was demolished. The present mast is also 148 feet (45 m) tall; it reaches a height of 182 feet (55 m) when the UHF aerial is taken into account. It is the 10th tallest structure in Brighton and Hove and is a prominent landmark due to its position atop Whitehawk Hill, which is 396 feet (121 m) above sea level. In 1990, the transmitting station was reported to serve 400,000 people and was supported by relay transmitters at several locations around Brighton: Patcham, Ovingdean and Saltdean (all installed in 1982–83), and Coldean and the North Laine area of central Brighton (both planned for 1990 but delayed). [1]

Services available

Analogue radio

FrequencykWService
99.7 MHz0.25 BBC Radio 1 (FM)
90.1 MHz0.25 BBC Radio 2 (FM)
92.3 MHz0.25 BBC Radio 3 (FM)
94.5 MHz0.25 BBC Radio 4 (FM)
95.3 MHz0.5 BBC Radio Sussex (FM)
101.9 MHz0.2 Classic FM
103.5 MHz0.45 Heart South
107.2 MHz0.2 Capital South

The coverage area of BBC Radio Sussex extends to Worthing and Shoreham-By-Sea. Other stations have smaller coverage areas from this transmitting station. [3]

Digital radio

FrequencyBlockkWOperator
218.640 MHz10B1 Sussex
216.928 MHz11A0.6 Sound Digital
222.064 MHz11D0.5 Digital One
225.648 MHz12B2 BBC National DAB

The Sussex Coast DAB ensemble includes BBC Radio Sussex, Capital, Gold Sussex and Heart South. [2] [4]

Digital television

The transmitting station (seen here from the Palace Pier) stands on high ground to the east of the city. Whitehawk Hill transmitter with Marine Parade in foreground.JPG
The transmitting station (seen here from the Palace Pier) stands on high ground to the east of the city.

The transmitting station provides Freeview television to 96,000 households. Since 28 August 2014, a local television station called Latest TV has been broadcast from LTVmux. [5]

FrequencyUHFkWOperatorSystem
562.000  MHz 324 SDN DVB-T
570.000  MHz 334 Arqiva BDVB-T
578.000  MHz 344Arqiva ADVB-T
586.000  MHz 354 Digital 3&4 DVB-T
594.000  MHz 364BBC B DVB-T2
626.000  MHz 400.4LTVMuxDVB-T
690.000  MHz 484BBC ADVB-T

Whitehawk Hill completed the 700MHz Clearance Programme in November 2019 and ceased transmitting on UHF 51, UHF 53, UHF 54, UHF 57 and UHF 60.

Analogue television

Analogue television transmissions were turned off in two stages—on 7 March 2012 and 21 March 2012. [5] At this time, the local BBC service broadcast from the transmitter was changed from BBC South to BBC South East. [6]

FrequencyUHFkWService
583.25  MHz 355 Channel 5
727.25  MHz 5310 Channel 4
759.25  MHz 5710 BBC1 South East
783.25  MHz 6010 Meridian
807.25  MHz 6310 BBC2 South East

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crystal Palace transmitting station</span> Telecommunications site in Bromley, England

The Crystal Palace transmitting station, officially known as Arqiva Crystal Palace, is a broadcasting and telecommunications site in the Crystal Palace area of the London Borough of Bromley, England. It is located on the site of the former television station and transmitter operated by John Logie Baird from 1933.

The Sutton Coldfield transmitting station is a broadcasting and telecommunications facility located in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, England. In terms of population covered, it is the third most important transmitter in the UK, after Crystal Palace in London and Winter Hill near Bolton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belmont transmitting station</span> Broadcasting and telecommunications facility in Lincolnshire, England

The Belmont transmitting station is a broadcasting and telecommunications facility next to the B1225, 1 mile (1.6 km) west of the village of Donington on Bain in the civil parish of South Willingham, near Market Rasen and Louth in Lincolnshire, England. It is owned and operated by Arqiva.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mendip transmitting station</span> Broadcasting and telecommunications facility

The Mendip transmitting station is a broadcasting and telecommunications facility on the summit of Pen Hill, part of the Mendip Hills range in Somerset, England, at 305 metres (1,001 ft) above sea level. The station is in St Cuthbert Out civil parish, approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) north-east of Wells. Its mast, 293 m (961 ft) high, was built in 1967 and is the tallest structure in South West England. The mast broadcasts digital television, FM analogue radio and DAB digital radio, and had broadcast analogue colour television from 1967 until 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Winter Hill transmitting station</span> Telecommunications site in Lancashire, UK

The Winter Hill transmitting station is a broadcasting and telecommunications site on Winter Hill, at the south eastern boundary of the Borough of Chorley, Lancashire, England, and above Bolton. It is owned and operated by Arqiva.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bilsdale transmitting station</span> Telecommunications transmission site in North Yorkshire, England

The Bilsdale transmitting station is a broadcasting and telecommunications facility, located at Bilsdale West Moor above Bilsdale, close to Helmsley, North Yorkshire, England. The original facility included a guyed steel tubular mast that was primarily used for radio and television transmission. The height of the mast was 314 metres (1,030 ft) to the pinnacle. Until a fire disabled the transmitter on 10 August 2021 it was among the most powerful transmitters in the UK. The power for analogue was 500 kW ERP and it was 100 kW / 50 kW for digital. The mast was equipped with aircraft warning lights, in the form of arrays of red LEDs. The station was owned and operated by Arqiva. After the main mast was disabled a temporary 80 metres (260 ft) mast was installed at the site. The temporary mast commenced operations on 13 October 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moel-y-Parc transmitting station</span> Telecommunications transmission site in north-east Wales, UK

The Moel-y-Parc transmitting station is situated on Moel y Parc, a hill in north-east Wales at the northern end of the Clwydian range, close to the town of Caerwys and several miles (kilometres) north-east of Denbigh. It was built in 1962/1963 by the IBA to bring 405-line VHF ITV television to North Wales and it has been on the air since 1963. Its original height of 229 metres (751 ft) made it the tallest structure in North Wales and it stands on land that is itself about 335 metres (1,099 ft) above sea level. In 1965, VHF television transmissions from the BBC commenced from the site.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rowridge transmitting station</span> Telecommunications transmission site on the Isle of Wight, England

The Rowridge transmitting station is a facility for FM radio and television transmission at Rowridge on the Isle of Wight in southern England.

The Llanddona transmitting station is a broadcasting and telecommunications facility, situated at Llanddona, near Beaumaris, on the isle of Anglesey, Wales. It comprises a 106.7 metres (350 ft) guyed mast with antennas attached at various heights. It is owned and operated by Arqiva.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wenvoe transmitting station</span> Transmission station in Wales

The Wenvoe transmitting station, officially known as Arqiva Wenvoe, is the main facility for broadcasting and telecommunications for South Wales and the West Country. It is situated close to the village of Wenvoe in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, in the UK.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heathfield transmitting station</span>

The Heathfield transmitting station is a facility for FM and television transmission at Heathfield, East Sussex, UK. Opened in 1969, its antenna mast is a 135 m (443 ft) tall guyed structure, giving the transmitter a height of 256 m (840 ft) above sea level. A Group B horizontally polarised aerial is required to receive digital TV signals. The original analogue signals were in the Group C/D band, but all the digital MUXES should still be receivable on a C/D group aerial in reasonable signal areas.

The Oxford transmitting station is a broadcasting and telecommunications facility, situated on land 129.5 metres (425 ft) above Ordnance Datum to the north east of the city of Oxford, in Oxfordshire, England. It has a guyed steel lattice mast which is 154.4 metres (507 ft) in height to the top of the main steel structure. The UHF television antenna, which consist of a vertical array of transmitting panels, is mounted above the steel structure. The total height of the mast to the top of this UHF antenna is 165.7 metres (544 ft). It is owned and operated by Arqiva.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haverfordwest transmitting station</span> Broadcasting and telecommunications facility

The Haverfordwest transmitting station is a broadcasting and telecommunications facility located at Woodstock about 13 km (8 mi) to the north east of the town of Haverfordwest, in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It was originally built by the BBC, entering service in early 1964 acting as a main transmitter for the 405-line VHF television system, and as a repeater for Band 2 VHF FM radio received off-air from Blaenplwyf transmitting station. It is now owned and operated by Arqiva.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BBC Radio Sussex</span> BBC Local Radio service for the English county of Sussex

BBC Radio Sussex is the BBC's local radio station serving the county of Sussex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Huntshaw Cross transmitting station</span> Telecommunications facility in Devon, England

Huntshaw Cross transmitting station is a telecommunications facility serving North Devon including the towns of Barnstaple and South Molton. It broadcasts television, radio and mobile telephone services and is currently owned by Arqiva. It is located on the B3232 road at Huntshaw, Great Torrington. Grid reference SS527220. The mast is 164 metres (538 ft) high.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Storeton transmitting station</span> Radio and TV transmission site in England

Storeton transmitting station is a television transmitter being a member of both the Winter Hill group of transmitters and of the Moel-y-Parc group of transmitter, and an FM radio transmitter, with transmitting antennas affixed to a mast located on Storeton Ridge, Higher Bebington, Wirral, UK. The site is owned and operated by Arqiva. It was originally solely an analogue TV relay of the Winter Hill transmitter. The 45 metre-high (150 ft-high) mast is situated at an elevation of 65.5 metres (215 ft). Thus, the top of the mast has an overall height of 110.5 metres (363 ft) above sea level. Construction of the mast was completed in 1980. As of 2009, the TV transmitter serves approximately 45,000 homes.

The Midhurst transmitting station is a facility for both analogue and digital VHF/FM radio and UHF television transmission, 3.1 miles (5.0 km) northeast of Midhurst, West Sussex, England. The station broadcasts to much of the northern half of West Sussex, and to small parts of Surrey and Hampshire. This includes towns such as Horsham, Midhurst, Haslemere, Godalming, Petersfield, Steyning, and Bordon.

The Llandrindod Wells transmitting station is a broadcasting and telecommunications facility located on high ground about midway between Llandrindod Wells and Rhayader, in Powys, Wales. It was originally built by the BBC, entering service in 1961 transmitting the now-defunct 405-line VHF television system and the original three FM radio services.

The Abergavenny transmitting station was originally built by the IBA in 1969 as a relay for BBC and ITV VHF 405-line analogue television. It consists of a 46 m guyed lattice mast carrying the aerials at the top. This structure was built on a 440 m hill known as Gilwern Hill overlooking the towns of Gilwern and Abergavenny in Monmouthshire, South Wales. The band III VHF television feeds were provided off-air from St. Hilary and Wenvoe, both near Cardiff.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Divis transmitting station</span> Transmitter near Belfast, Northern Ireland

Divis transmitting station is the main high-power UHF and BBC National FM/DAB station that serves County Antrim and parts of County Down.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Carder 1990 , §24.
  2. 1 2 "Brighton (Whitehawk Hill)". Mike Brown. 2013. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
  3. "Whitehawk Hill (Brighton and Hove, England) analogue radio transmitter". UK Free TV. 2013. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
  4. "Whitehawk Hill (Brighton and Hove, England) DAB transmitter". UK Free TV. 2013. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
  5. 1 2 "Full Freeview on the Whitehawk Hill (Brighton and Hove, England) transmitter". UK Free TV. 2013. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
  6. "Your guide to switchover for all TV viewers: Meridian TV region" (PDF). Digital UK. 2011. p. 16. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 August 2012. Retrieved 26 October 2013.

Bibliography