Pontop Pike transmitting station
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| Pontop Pike | |
 Pontop Pike mast, left, with dish aerial array to the right |
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| Height | 149 metres (489 ft) |
|---|---|
| Grid Reference | NZ148526 |
| Built | 1953 |
| BBC Region | BBC North East and Cumbria |
| ITV Region | ITV Tyne Tees |
The Pontop Pike transmitting station is a facility for telecommunications and broadcasting situated on a 205 metre high hill of the same name, between Stanley and Consett, County Durham, near the village of Dipton, England. The mast is 149 metres (489 ft) high, giving average transmitter height of 450 metres above sea level. It is owned and operated by National Grid Wireless.
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[edit] History
The mast was built in 1953 and its construction was brought forward by the BBC so that people in North East England could watch the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II live on the 405-lines monochrome VHF television system then in use in the UK. Test transmissions from a low-power temporary aerial began on Monday, 20 April 1953, and the first programmes were transmitted on Friday, 1 May 1953, in plenty of time for the Coronation on 2 June. UHF transmissions (625 line colour) began in 1966 and the VHF television signal was switched off in 1985.
[edit] Coverage
The Pontop Pike transmitter provides UHF analogue and digital television transmissions to Tyne and Wear, County Durham, Tees Valley, most of Northumberland and parts of North Yorkshire. It also carries the national BBC Radio FM signals, covering the whole North East, as well as 95.4FM Radio Newcastle. It was one of the first national FM transmitters in December 1955. All of its television output (analogue and digital is within the C/D group.
[edit] Digital TV switchover
Analogue TV transmissions from this mast are due to cease on 25 October 2012, making Pontop Pike the very last transmitter in Great Britain to complete digital switchover (DSO). In July 2007 it was cofirmed by Ofcom that Pontop Pike would remain a C/D group after DSO.
[edit] Channels listed by Frequency
- Analogue Radio (FM VHF)
- 88.5 MHz - BBC Radio 2
- 90.7 MHz - BBC Radio 3
- 92.9 MHz - BBC Radio 4
- 95.4 MHz - BBC Radio Newcastle
- 98.1 MHz - BBC Radio 1
- 100.3 MHz - Classic FM
- Analogue Television
Pontop Pike transmitter does not transmit analogue Channel Five. Instead, this channel is transmitted from a transmitter near Burnhope, on UHF 68.
- Digital Television
- UHF 48 - Multiplex 1 (BBC)
- UHF 53 - Multiplex D (National Grid Wireless)
- UHF 55 - Multiplex 2 (ITV)
- UHF 59 - Multiplex A (SDN)
- UHF 62 - Multiplex B (BBC)
- UHF 65 - Multiplex C (National Grid Wireless)
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Info and pictures of Pontop Pike and Burnhope including co-receivable transmitters.
- Entry on Pontop Pike on Mike Brown's mb21 site
- OFCOM television reception advice for Pontop Pike
- Historical essay with some background detail
- Map showing the old 405-lines transmitter network and coverage.
