Bluebell Hill transmitting station

Bluebell Hill
Height of tower 52.5 metres (172 ft) (A)
55 metres (180 ft) (B)
46 metres (151 ft) (C)
43 metres (141 ft) (South)
Grid reference TQ757613
Built 1974
BBC region BBC South East
ITV region ITV Meridian

The Bluebell Hill transmitting station is a broadcasting and telecommunications facility located at Blue Bell Hill between Maidstone and Rochester in the English county of Kent.

The station is situated on the crest of the North Downs and comprises five steel lattice towers, each 45 to 50 metres high. It broadcasts digital television, FM and DAB radio to much of north and central Kent, and an overspill service into southern Essex. It stopped broadcasting analogue television when the digital switchover was completed on 27 June 2012.

Services broadcast include BBC One (South East), BBC Two, ITV (Meridian), Channel 4, Heart Kent, KMFM Medway and KMFM Maidstone. Between its opening in 1974 and 31 December 1981 the transmitter broadcast Thames Television (weekdays) and London Weekend Television (weekends), being switched on 1 January 1982 to carry signals from the new ITV franchise TVS (Television South), until superseded on 1 January 1993 by ITV Meridian for ITV in the south east.

Services available

Analogue radio

Frequency kW Service
100.4 MHz — KMFM Medway
103.1 MHz 2 Heart Kent
105.6 MHz — KMFM Maidstone
107.9 MHz — KMFM Medway

Digital radio

Frequency Block kW Operator
218.640 MHz 11B 0.9 DRG London
220.352 MHz 11C 2 NOW Kent
222.064 MHz 11D 6.3 Digital One
223.936 MHz 12A 2 Switch London
225.648 MHz 12B 6.3 BBC National DAB
227.360 MHz 12C 1 CE London

Digital television

Frequency UHF kW Operator System
618.000 MHz 39 20 Arqiva A DVB-T
626.000 MHz 40 20 BBC B DVB-T2
650.000 MHz 43 20 Digital 3&4 DVB-T
666.000 MHz 45 20 SDN DVB-T
674.000 MHz 46 20 BBC A DVB-T
738.000 MHz 54 20 Arqiva B DVB-T

Before switchover

style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Frequency style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |UHF style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |kW style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Operator
498.000 MHz 24 2 Digital 3&4 (Mux 2)
522.000 MHz 27 2 SDN (Mux A)
618.000 MHz 39 3 Arqiva (Mux D)
641.833 MHz 42- 3 Arqiva (Mux C)
665.833 MHz 45- 3 BBC (Mux B)
778.000 MHz 59 3 BBC (Mux 1)

Analogue television

Analogue television transmissions have now ceased. BBC Two was closed on 13 June 2012 and the remaining three services on 27 June.

Frequency UHF kW Service
623.25 MHz 40 30 BBC One
647.25 MHz 43 30 ITV1
671.25 MHz 46 30 BBC Two
823.25 MHz 65 30 Channel 4

References

    External links

    Coordinates: 51°19′27″N 0°31′14″E / 51.3242°N 0.5206°E