Moel-y-Parc transmitting station

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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 kilometres north-east of Denbigh. It has been on the air since 1963 and is currently administered by Arqiva.

Map sources for Moel-y-Parc transmitting station at grid reference SJ123702

The mast is 235 metres high, and its overall height above sea level is approximately 575 metres. Its official coverage area includes parts of Flintshire, Denbighshire and Wrexham (although the majority of Wrexham is in a blindspot of direct transmission from Moel-y-Parc, its analogue transmissions are relayed via the Wrexham-Rhos Relay). A network of relay stations extends television coverage as far as Colwyn Bay in the west and Bala in the south.

1 Output
2 Reception area
3 See also
4 External links

[edit] Output

The station currently transmits the following:

Analogue Television - Transmitted at 100 kW Effective Radiated Power
- BBC One Wales: UHF Channel 52
- BBC Two Wales: UHF Channel 45
- HTV Wales: UHF Channel 49
- S4C: UHF Channel 42

Freeview Digital Television - Transmitted at 1 kW Effective Radiated Power (Except Multiplex C and D which are 250 W)
- Multiplex 1 - BBC: UHF Channel 54
- Multiplex 2 - ITV: UHF Channel 58
- Multiplex A - SDN: UHF Channel 61
- Multiplex B - BBC: UHF Channel 64
- Multiplex C - National Grid Wireless: UHF Channel 30
- Multiplex D - National Grid Wireless: UHF Channel 34

DAB
- BBC National DAB - Transmitted at 10 kW ERP
- Digital One - Transmitted at 9.5 kW ERP
- MXR North West - Transmitted at 5 kW ERP

[edit] Reception area

In terms of land area and population, Moel-y-Parc delivers a receivable signal to a greater area, and a greater number of potential viewers, in North West England than in its intended coverage area of north-east Wales. Transmissions can be received using standard aerials in Liverpool, parts of Manchester, and parts of Lancashire as far north as Blackpool. In the past, some English viewers have erected a second aerial for Moel-y-Parc in order to receive a slightly increased choice of viewing, although this practice has declined with the introduction of satellite television and the reduction in schedule variations between different ITV regions. Liverpool is located directly between the Winter Hill transmitter and Moel-y-Parc, and many Liverpudlians obtain a watchable picture through the back of their normal TV aerial.

The Welsh stations transmitted from Moel-y-Parc compete with English TV stations transmitted from the Winter Hill, which can be received in the Wrexham area and along the North Wales coast. Most residents of north-east Wales are monoglot English-speakers and a significant number prefer to watch English television in order to avoid programmes in the Welsh language (despite the fact that Welsh-language programming has only been broadcast on S4C since that station opened on 1982-11-01). Other factors are the availability of Channel 4 and Five from Winter Hill, and the large numbers of English people who live in the area.

Prior to 1963, the only official ITV provider for north-east Wales was Granada Television based in Manchester. Pressure for a distinctly Welsh TV station was one of the driving forces behind the construction of the Moel-y-Parc mast, along with the need to deliver television to the more mountainous interior of Wales, which was out of range of English transmitters. As late as the 1980s, Granada continued to claim north Wales as part of its coverage area. After a series of mergers, Granada and HTV Wales are now both part of ITV plc, and competition between the two providers is undoubtedly more muted, however both Granada and HTV still provide local news and programmes for those in North Wales. The ITV Regions Official Map distinctly shows the area of North Wales as part of Granada, however for many across North and Mid Wales, it is possible to receive Central (West) via The Wrekin Transmitter. Unlike Granada, these areas are not shown as part of Central's coverage area on the ITV Regions map, and neither are they included as part of the region in Central's weather forecasts[1].

Moel Y Parc has potential co-channel interference issues with a number of other co receivable transmitters ie Llanddona, Storeton, Fenton, Sutton Coldfield and The Wrekin B (see external links) and this probably explains it`s low output on the relevant frequencies, particularly digital.