Lichfield transmitting station

Lichfield
Height of mast 305.2 metres (1,001 ft)
Built 1961

The Lichfield transmitting station is situated close to Tamworth in Staffordshire in the West Midlands between the A5 and A51. The nearest geographical feature is Hopwas Hill. The station is owned and operated by Arqiva. The mast is known locally as Hopwas mast or Hints mast.

Contents

History

The transmitter was the main 405-line ITV transmitter for the Midlands from 1956 until 1985. It includes a 305.2 metres (1,001 ft) tall guyed mast and was built in 1961. The original mast looked akin to the Eifel tower and was dismatled in 1965.

625-line colour transmitters for the region were all co-sited at the nearby Sutton Coldfield transmitting station until 1997, when Lichfield began broadcasting Channel 5 in the Midlands. At 1000 kW it was the most powerful Channel 5 transmitter in the country. Before the digital switchover, lichfield effectively worked in conjunction with Sutton Coldfield (4 miles to the SW) to supply the full five analogue channels. Reception of Channel 5 from Lichfield was also receivable at viewable quality throughout the borders of North Wales.

All analogue TV transmissions ceased on the 21st September 2011, as part of the Digital switchover. The HD multiplex BBC B (Mux HD) was moved to the Sutton Coldfield transmitter on C40+ (626.2MHz) thereby ceasing all television broadcasts from the Lichfield transmitter (Analogue and Digital).

Television services and digital switchover

Since the digital switchover on 21st September 2011, no television services are broadcast from the Lichfield transmitter.

There are no current plans to carry any television services and all services are now broadcast from the Sutton Coldfield transmitter.

Services listed by frequency

Analogue radio (FM VHF)

Frequency kW[1] Service
101.6 MHz 0.06 Touch FM

Digital radio (DAB)

Frequency Block kW[2] Operator
220.35 MHz 11C 0.5 CE Birmingham

Analogue television

Analogue television is no longer broadcast from Lichfield as of 21 September 2011.

Frequency UHF kW Service
599.25 MHz 37 1000 Channel 5

Digital television

Digital television is no longer broadcast from Lichfield as of 21 September 2011.

Frequency UHF kW Operator
578.0 MHz 34 4 BBC B (Mux HD)

See also

References

  1. ^ Radio Listeners Guide 2010
  2. ^ Radio Listeners Guide 2010

External links