Croydon
![](../I/m/Croydon_Transmitter.JPG) |
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Height of tower |
152 metres (499 ft) |
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Grid reference |
TQ332696 |
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Built |
1955 (original tower) 1962 (current tower) |
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BBC region |
BBC London (backup) |
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ITV region |
ITV London (backup) |
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The Croydon transmitting station (also known as the NTL Tower) is a broadcasting and telecommunications facility on Beulah Hill[1] in Upper Norwood, London, England (grid reference TQ332696), in the London Borough of Croydon, owned by Arqiva. It was established in 1955 and initially used a small lattice tower. The present tower is 152 metres (499 ft) high and was built in 1962.
It was originally used to broadcast the London ITV signal on VHF Band III. When UHF broadcasting began, the nearby Crystal Palace transmitting station was used. VHF television was discontinued in 1985, and the Croydon transmitter was not used for regular TV broadcasting until 1997, when a new directional UHF antenna, designed to avoid interference with continental transmitters, was installed to carry the newly launched Channel 5 in the London area. It carried Channel 5's analogue signal, and the digital terrestrial signal is transmitted from Crystal Palace. Croydon also had reserve transmitters for ITV1 and Channel 4, but these were used only in the event of engineering works or a failure at Crystal Palace. Since the digital switchover in April 2012 no television has been broadcast from Croydon, but it is still used as a backup for Crystal Palace for the BBC A & B and Digital 3&4 multiplexes.
The site is also a maintenance base for transmitter teams and is used to house one of four Regional Operations Centres.
Channels listed by frequency
![](../I/m/Croydon_Transmitter_II.JPG)
Croydon transmitter at sunset.
Analogue radio (FM VHF)
† Backup for Crystal Palace.
Digital radio (DAB)
Frequency |
Block |
kW |
Operator |
218.640 MHz |
11B |
2.5 |
DRG London |
227.360 MHz |
12C |
5 |
CE London |
Analogue television
22 September 1955 - 3 January 1985
ITV franchises Associated-Rediffusion (weekdays) and Associated Television (weekends) began transmitting on VHF 9 on 22 September 1955, and were the first ITV services. The transmitter's power was originally 60 kW but after the new tower was built in 1962 this was increased to 400 kW. Thames Television and London Weekend Television took over the London franchise area in 1968. The VHF analogue service closed down, along with the rest of the UK, on 3 January 1985.
30 March 1997 - 18 April 2012
Channel 5 launched on 30 March 1997 with transmissions from Croydon and many other former VHF sites in the UK. Backup for ITV1 and Channel 4 was later added in case they were not available from Crystal Palace.
Frequency |
UHF |
kW |
Service |
487.25 MHz |
23 |
— |
ITV1† |
543.25 MHz |
30 |
— |
Channel 4† |
599.25 MHz |
37 |
1000 |
Channel 5 |
† Backup for Crystal Palace.
Digital television
18 April 2012 - present
Since 18 April 2012, no television has been broadcast from Croydon. However, backup for the PSB multiplexes BBC A & B and Digital 3&4 are available should there be a problem at Crystal Palace.
Frequency |
UHF |
kW |
Service |
System |
490.000 MHz |
23 |
200 |
BBC A† |
DVB-T |
514.000 MHz |
26 |
200 |
Digital 3&4† |
DVB-T |
545.833 MHz |
30- |
200 |
BBC B† |
DVB-T2 |
† Backup for Crystal Palace.
See also
References
External links
Buildings and structures in Croydon |
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| Major railway stations | |
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| Sports venues | |
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![United Kingdom](../I/m/Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg.png) Television transmitter and major relay sites in the United Kingdom |
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| England | East | |
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| East Midlands | |
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| Greater London | |
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| North East | |
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| North West | |
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| South East | |
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| South West | |
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| West Midlands | |
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| Yorkshire and the Humber | |
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| Scotland | |
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| Wales | |
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| Northern Ireland | |
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| Italics denotes a transmitter no longer used for transmitting television signals. |
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Croydon VHF 405-line Transmitter Group |
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| Transmitter stations | |
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Coordinates: 51°24′35″N 0°5′9″W / 51.40972°N 0.08583°W / 51.40972; -0.08583