Pontop Pike transmitting station

Pontop Pike

Pontop Pike mast, left, with dish aerial array to the right
Height of mast 149 metres (489 ft)
Grid reference NZ148526
Built 1953
BBC region BBC North East and Cumbria
ITV region ITV Tyne Tees & Border

The Pontop Pike transmitting station is a facility for telecommunications and broadcasting situated on a 312 metres (1,024 ft) 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 antenna height of 461 metres (1,512 ft) above sea level. It is owned and operated by Arqiva.

Contents

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-line television system VHF 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.

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.

Digital TV switchover

Analogue TV transmissions from this mast are due to cease on 12 and 26 September 2012, making Pontop Pike the very last transmitter in Great Britain to complete digital switchover (DSO). In July 2007 it was confirmed by Ofcom that Pontop Pike would remain a C/D group after DSO.

Services listed by frequency

Analogue radio

Frequency kW Service
88.5 MHz 250 BBC Radio 2
90.7 MHz 250 BBC Radio 3
92.9 MHz 250 BBC Radio 4
95.4 MHz 10 BBC Newcastle
98.1 MHz 250 BBC Radio 1
100.3 MHz 65 Classic FM

Digital radio

Frequency Block kW[1] Operator
222.064 MHz 11D 6.3 Digital One
225.648 MHz 12B 10 BBC National DAB

Analogue television

Analogue television will be switching off in late 2012 from this transmitter. Pontop Pike transmitter does not transmit analogue Channel 5. Instead, this channel is transmitted from a transmitter near Burnhope, on UHF 68.

Frequency UHF kW Service
735.25 MHz 54 500 Channel 4
767.25 MHz 58 500 BBC One
791.25 MHz 61 500 ITV1
815.25 MHz 64 500 BBC Two

Digital television

Frequency UHF kW[2] Operator
690.0 MHz 48 10 BBC (Mux 1)
729.8 MHz 53- 10 Arqiva (Mux D)
746.2 MHz 55+ 10 Digital 3&4 (Mux 2)
778.2 MHz 59+ 10 SDN (Mux A)
802.2 MHz 62+ 10 BBC (Mux B)
810.0 MHz 63 10 BBC B (Mux HD)
826.2 MHz 65+ 10 Arqiva (Mux C)

Relay services

Being the main broadcasting transmitter, there are also a number of relays (or repeaters) to cover patches where this transmitter can't properly serve.

Analogue radio

Transmitter kW R1 R2 R3 R4 CFM
Bilsdale 5 98.6 MHz 89.0 MHz 91.2 MHz 93.4 MHz 101.6 MHz
Fenham 0.042 99.4 MHz 89.8 MHz 92.0 MHz 94.2 MHz 101.0 MHz
Oliver's Mount 0.25 99.5 MHz 89.9 MHz 92.1 MHz 94.3 MHz N/A
Newton 0.1 99.0 MHz 89.4 MHz 91.6 MHz 93.8 MHz N/A
Weardale 0.18 99.3 MHz 89.7 MHz 91.9 MHz 94.1 MHz N/A
Wensleydale 0.054 97.9 MHz 88.3 MHz 90.5 MHz 92.7 MHz N/A
Woolmoor 5 99.6 MHz 90.2 MHz 92.2 MHz 94.4 MHz N/A

Analogue television

[3] The following is a list of the television relays served by Pontop Pike:

Transmitter kW BBC1 BBC2 ITV1 CH4 Pol. A.G.
Allenheads 0.008 21 27 31 24 V A
Alston 0.4 52 45 49 42 V B
Bellingham 0.05 21 27 31 24 V A
Blaydon 0.004 51 44 41 47 V B
Byrness 0.01 21 27 31 24 V A
Catton Beacon 0.14 40 46 43 50 V B
Durham 0.015 40 46 43 50 V B
Esh 0.012 39 45 49 42 V B
Falstone 0.063 51 44 41 47 V B
Felling 0.006 52 68 46 66 V W
Fenham† 2 21 27 24 34 V A
Haltwhistle 2 55 62 59 65 V C/D
Haydon Bridge 0.1 51 44 41 47 V B
Hedleyhope 0.018 40 46 43 50 V B
Humshaugh 0.059 39 45 49 42 V B
Ireshopeburn 0.011 55 62 59 65 V C/D
Kielder 0.027 33 26 23 29 V A
Morpeth 0.044 22 28 25 32 V A
Newton 2 33 26 23 29 V A
Seaham 0.059 51 44 41 47 V B
Shotleyfield 0.2 22 28 25 32 V A
Staithes 0.006 51 44 41 47 V B
Sunderland 0.012 40 46 43 50 V B
Wall 0.025 40 46 43 50 H B
Weardale 1 44 51 41 47 V B
Whitaside 0.015 51 44 41 47 V B

† This relay also carries Channel 5 on UHF 56 (Vertical - Aerial group W)

References

  1. ^ Radio Listeners Guide 2010
  2. ^ Television Viewers Guide 2009
  3. ^ Television Viewer's Guide 2009

See also

External links

Television transmitter and major relay sites in the United Kingdom
London and South of England
Midlands and East Anglia
West and South West of England
North of England
Scotland
Wales
Northern Ireland