Bilsdale transmitter
Encyclopedia
The Bilsdale transmitting station is a broadcasting
and telecommunications facility, located at Bilsdale West Moor, close to Helmsley
, North Yorkshire
, England
. It includes a guyed steel tubular mast that is primarily used for radio and television transmission. The height of the mast is 314 metres (1,030 ft) to the pinnacle. It is among the most powerful in the UK at 500 kW ERP
and has recently been equipped with new aircraft warning lights
, in the form of arrays of ultra bright red LEDs
.
to bring 625-line colour television on UHF to the Tees Valley
for the first time. Having added UHF TV to the existing VHF TV stations at Pontop Pike
and Emley Moor, it was quickly established that a new station would be required to cover County Durham
and north North Yorkshire
where existing coverage was poor, and thus the new station was built.
region, encompassing north North Yorkshire
and southern County Durham
. This includes Harrogate
and York
to the south, Filey
and Whitby
to the east, Middlesbrough
, Stockton
, Darlington
, Bishop Auckland
, Hartlepool
, Peterlee
, some areas of Seaham
and some areas of Sunderland to the north, and Barnard Castle
and Worton
to the west.
that the television frequency assignment after digital switchover would be such that a wideband or group K aerial would be required for reception of all six multiplexes. However, the three public service multiplexes will still fall within the station's original analogue frequency range assignment of aerial group A. The digital switchover is expected to take place between 12 - 26 September 2012, and the following frequencies will be used from then:
Broadcasting
Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...
and telecommunications facility, located at Bilsdale West Moor, close to Helmsley
Helmsley
Helmsley is a market town and civil parish in the Ryedale district of North Yorkshire, England. The town is located at the point where the valleys of Bilsdale and Ryedale leave the higher moorland and join the flat Vale of Pickering. It is situated on the River Rye and lies on the A170 road, east...
, North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It includes a guyed steel tubular mast that is primarily used for radio and television transmission. The height of the mast is 314 metres (1,030 ft) to the pinnacle. It is among the most powerful in the UK at 500 kW ERP
Effective radiated power
In radio telecommunications, effective radiated power or equivalent radiated power is a standardized theoretical measurement of radio frequency energy using the SI unit watts, and is determined by subtracting system losses and adding system gains...
and has recently been equipped with new aircraft warning lights
Aircraft warning lights
Aircraft warning lights are high-intensity lighting devices that are attached to tall structures and are used as collision avoidance measures. Such devices make structures more visible to passing aircraft and are usually used at night, although they may be used during the day as well...
, in the form of arrays of ultra bright red LEDs
Light-emitting diode
A light-emitting diode is a semiconductor light source. LEDs are used as indicator lamps in many devices and are increasingly used for other lighting...
.
History
Bilsdale was constructed in 1971 by the BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
to bring 625-line colour television on UHF to the Tees Valley
Tees Valley
The Tees Valley is an area in the North East of England. It can be described as "greater Teesside" and consists of the four unitary authorities created by the breakup of the County of Cleveland in 1996: Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar & Cleveland, and Stockton-On-Tees along with the borough of...
for the first time. Having added UHF TV to the existing VHF TV stations at Pontop Pike
Pontop Pike Television Transmitter
The Pontop Pike transmitting station is a facility for telecommunications and broadcasting situated on a high hill of the same name, between Stanley and Consett, County Durham, near the village of Dipton, England. The mast is high, giving average antenna height of above sea level...
and Emley Moor, it was quickly established that a new station would be required to cover County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
and north North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
where existing coverage was poor, and thus the new station was built.
Coverage
Coverage extends throughout the Tees ValleyTees Valley
The Tees Valley is an area in the North East of England. It can be described as "greater Teesside" and consists of the four unitary authorities created by the breakup of the County of Cleveland in 1996: Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar & Cleveland, and Stockton-On-Tees along with the borough of...
region, encompassing north North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
and southern County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
. This includes Harrogate
Harrogate
Harrogate is a spa town in North Yorkshire, England. The town is a tourist destination and its visitor attractions include its spa waters, RHS Harlow Carr gardens, and Betty's Tea Rooms. From the town one can explore the nearby Yorkshire Dales national park. Harrogate originated in the 17th...
and York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
to the south, Filey
Filey
Filey is a small town and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. It forms part of the borough of Scarborough and is located between Scarborough and Bridlington on the North Sea coast. Although it started out as a fishing village, it has a large beach and is a popular tourist resort...
and Whitby
Whitby
Whitby is a seaside town, port and civil parish in the Scarborough borough of North Yorkshire, England. Situated on the east coast of Yorkshire at the mouth of the River Esk, Whitby has a combined maritime, mineral and tourist heritage, and is home to the ruins of Whitby Abbey where Caedmon, the...
to the east, Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough is a large town situated on the south bank of the River Tees in north east England, that sits within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire...
, Stockton
Stockton-on-Tees
Stockton-on-Tees is a market town in north east England. It is the major settlement in the unitary authority and borough of Stockton-on-Tees. For ceremonial purposes, the borough is split between County Durham and North Yorkshire as it also incorporates a number of smaller towns including...
, Darlington
Darlington
Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, part of the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It lies on the small River Skerne, a tributary of the River Tees, not far from the main river. It is the main population centre in the borough, with a population of 97,838 as of 2001...
, Bishop Auckland
Bishop Auckland
Bishop Auckland is a market town and civil parish in County Durham in north east England. It is located about northwest of Darlington and southwest of Durham at the confluence of the River Wear with its tributary the River Gaunless...
, Hartlepool
Hartlepool
Hartlepool is a town and port in North East England.It was founded in the 7th century AD, around the Northumbrian monastery of Hartlepool Abbey. The village grew during the Middle Ages and developed a harbour which served as the official port of the County Palatine of Durham. A railway link from...
, Peterlee
Peterlee
Peterlee is a new town in County Durham, England. Founded in 1948, Peterlee town originally mostly housed coal miners and their families.Peterlee has strong economic and community ties with Sunderland and Hartlepool.-Peterlee:...
, some areas of Seaham
Seaham
Seaham, formerly Seaham Harbour, is a small town in County Durham, situated south of Sunderland and east of Durham. It has a small parish church, St Mary the Virgin, with a late 7th century Anglo Saxon nave resembling the church at Escomb in many respects. St Mary the Virgin is regarded as one of...
and some areas of Sunderland to the north, and Barnard Castle
Barnard Castle
Barnard Castle is an historical town in Teesdale, County Durham, England. It is named after the castle around which it grew up. It sits on the north side of the River Tees, opposite Startforth, south southwest of Newcastle upon Tyne, south southwest of Sunderland, west of Middlesbrough and ...
and Worton
Worton, North Yorkshire
Worton is a hamlet in Wensleydale in the Yorkshire Dales in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England. It lies one mile east of Bainbridge on the A684 road and the River Ure, the biggest river in Wensleydale....
to the west.
Analogue radio
| Frequency | kW | Service |
|---|---|---|
| 89.0 MHz | 5 | BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres... |
| 91.2 MHz | 5 | BBC Radio 3 BBC Radio 3 BBC Radio 3 is a national radio station operated by the BBC within the United Kingdom. Its output centres on classical music and opera, but jazz, world music, drama, culture and the arts also feature. The station is the world’s most significant commissioner of new music, and its New Generation... |
| 93.4 MHz | 5 | BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the... |
| 95.0 MHz | 10 | BBC Tees |
| 96.6 MHz | 8.9 | TFM Radio TFM Radio TFM Radio is a Thornaby-on-Tees based Independent Local Radio station. Launched in June 1975 as Radio Tees, with the callsign "You've got a friend on 257" it was the first independent local radio station serving the area of the Tees Valley with parts of North Yorkshire and County Durham... |
| 98.6 MHz | 5 | BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock... |
| 100.7 MHz | 8.9 | Real Radio |
| 101.6 MHz | 1 | Classic FM Classic FM (UK) Classic FM, one of the United Kingdom's three Independent National Radio stations, broadcasts classical music in a popular and accessible style.-Overview:... |
| 106.4 MHz | 8.9 | Capital FM |
Digital radio
| Frequency | Block | kW | Operator |
|---|---|---|---|
| 222.064 MHz | 11D | 4.7 | Digital One Digital One Digital One is a national commercial digital radio multiplex in the United Kingdom, owned by Arqiva. , the multiplex covers more than 90% of the populationfrom a total of 137 transmitters... |
| 223.936 MHz | 12A | 2 | MXR Yorkshire MXR Yorkshire MXR Yorkshire is a regional commercial digital radio multiplex in the United Kingdom, which serves Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, North Nottinghamshire and North Derbyshire.-Stations broadcast:-History:... |
| 225.648 MHz | 12B | 5 | BBC National DAB |
| 227.360 MHz | 12C | 2 | MXR North East MXR North East MXR North East is a regional commercial digital radio multiplex in the United Kingdom, which serves the North East.-Transmitters:MXR North East is transmitted on frequency block 12C from the transmitter sites: -Stations broadcast:- Previous services :... |
Analogue television
| Frequency | UHF | kW | Service |
|---|---|---|---|
| 487.25 MHz | 23 | 500 | Channel 4 Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel... |
| 511.25 MHz | 26 | 500 | BBC Two BBC Two BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio... |
| 535.25 MHz | 29 | 500 | ITV1 ITV1 ITV1 is a generic brand that is used by twelve franchises of the British ITV Network in the English regions, Wales, southern Scotland , the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their... |
| 567.25 MHz | 33 | 500 | BBC One BBC One BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution... |
| 583.25 MHz | 35 | 500 | Channel 5 |
Digital television
| Frequency | UHF | kW | Operator |
|---|---|---|---|
| 474.0 MHz | 21 | 6 | Digital 3&4 Digital 3&4 Digital 3&4 is a consortium consisting of regional Channel 3 companies and Channel 4 Television Corporation, which operates a multiplex broadcasting from a number of transmitter sites in the UK, carrying television and radio channels from both ITV and Channel 4; however three per-cent of the... (Mux 2) |
| 498.0 MHz | 24 | 6 | BBC BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff... (Mux B) |
| 522.0 MHz | 27 | 6 | Arqiva Arqiva Arqiva is a telecommunications company which provides infrastructure and broadcast transmission facilities in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. The present company, with headquarters located at Crawley Court in the village of Crawley, Hampshire, was formed by National Grid Wireless... (Mux C) |
| 554.0 MHz | 31 | 6 | SDN S4C Digital Networks SDN is a company that operates Multiplex A, one of the six groups of channels on digital terrestrial television in the United Kingdom... (Mux A) |
| 578.0 MHz | 34 | 4.8 | BBC (Mux 1) |
| 642.0 MHz | 42 | 1.6 | Arqiva (Mux D) |
Digital switchover
In July 2007 it was confirmed by OfcomOfcom
Ofcom is the government-approved regulatory authority for the broadcasting and telecommunications industries in the United Kingdom. Ofcom was initially established by the Office of Communications Act 2002. It received its full authority from the Communications Act 2003...
that the television frequency assignment after digital switchover would be such that a wideband or group K aerial would be required for reception of all six multiplexes. However, the three public service multiplexes will still fall within the station's original analogue frequency range assignment of aerial group A. The digital switchover is expected to take place between 12 - 26 September 2012, and the following frequencies will be used from then:
| Frequency | UHF | kW | Operator |
|---|---|---|---|
| 490.0 MHz | 23 | 100 | BBC BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff... B |
| 514.0 MHz | 26 | 100 | BBC A |
| 538.0 MHz | 29 | 100 | Digital 3&4 Digital 3&4 Digital 3&4 is a consortium consisting of regional Channel 3 companies and Channel 4 Television Corporation, which operates a multiplex broadcasting from a number of transmitter sites in the UK, carrying television and radio channels from both ITV and Channel 4; however three per-cent of the... |
| 626.0 MHz | 40 | 50 | Arqiva Arqiva Arqiva is a telecommunications company which provides infrastructure and broadcast transmission facilities in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. The present company, with headquarters located at Crawley Court in the village of Crawley, Hampshire, was formed by National Grid Wireless... B |
| 650.0 MHz | 43 | 50 | SDN S4C Digital Networks SDN is a company that operates Multiplex A, one of the six groups of channels on digital terrestrial television in the United Kingdom... |
| 674.0 MHz | 46 | 50 | Arqiva A |
See also
- List of masts
- List of tallest buildings and structures in Great Britain
- List of radio stations in the United Kingdom