Flint television relay station

Coordinates: 53°14′58″N 3°08′10″W / 53.2495°N 3.1360°W / 53.2495; -3.1360

Flint

The approximate position of the Flint TV relay atop Bolingbroke Heights is shown with a red circle.
Flint Moel-y-Parc
Location	Flint, Flintshire
Height of mast	50 metres (160 ft)
Grid reference	SJ243732
Built	1996
Demolished	2009
Relay of	Moel-y-Parc
BBC region	BBC Wales
ITV region	ITV Wales

The Flint television relay station was an analogue television transmitter housed on a residential tower block called Bolingbroke Heights at the centre of the Town of Flint in North Wales. Flint is situated on the estuary of the River Dee which forms part the Wales border with England.

Between 1996 and 2009, the mast provided BBC One Wales and S4C to most of the town's residents. Its transmissions utilised spare UHF capacity in which to relay transmissions from the Moel-y-Parc transmitting station on low power (via another similar relay in nearby Bagillt). Due to limited capacity, it was not possible for the site to carry BBC Two Wales or ITV1 Wales. Owing to the constraints of local geography and location of the main Moel-y-Parc transmitter, residents in the town and some surrounding areas had previously been unable to fully access Welsh television output (provided in both the Welsh and English languages). Reception of the Welsh TV stations varied from poor to un-viewable and as a consequence programming was supplied almost exclusively by the North West of England based TV stations such as ITV1 Granada, easily receivable with a set top aerial. As Flint falls outside the normal coverage area of these TV stations, reference in local programming was rarely ever made to the area. The relay was only installed following a campaign spearheaded by the Welsh-language group Teledu I Pawb (English: Television For All). The group considered the bias toward North West of England regional TV programming across many parts of the North Wales coastal strip unacceptable and detrimental to the preservation and promotion of the Welsh Language, culture and national identity. Similar relays were installed at the same time in the nearby Village of Bagillt and the Town of Holywell. The latter also transmits BBC Radio Cymru. It is estimated that the three relays have made available Welsh regional TV programming to some 24,000 to 30,000 residents. A number of nearby localities remained without any terrestrial access to Welsh TV and radio output including Mostyn and Fynnongroyw. Viewers (and listeners) in these areas (and indeed across the UK) were, however, able to pick up all the Welsh TV and radio output via Sky satellite.

Situation at cessation of broadcasting

Cessation of broadcasting

After digital switchover, the mast ceased to relay television channels.^[1]

Welsh channels were instead transmitted from the Storeton transmitting station on the Wirral Peninsula.

References

External links

• The Transmission Gallery: Photographs and Information of Flint television relay station)

Television transmitter and major relay sites in the United Kingdom England East Mendlesham Sandy Heath Sudbury Tacolneston East Midlands Belmont Chesterfield Waltham Greater London Alexandra Palace Croydon Crystal Palace North East Berwick-upon-Tweed Burnhope Chatton Pontop Pike North West Caldbeck Sandale Storeton West Kirby Winter Hill South East Bluebell Hill Chillerton Down Dover Frémont Point (Channel Islands) Hannington Heathfield Membury Midhurst Oxford Rowridge Whitehawk Hill South West Beacon Hill Caradon Hill Huntshaw Cross Mendip North Hessary Tor Redruth Stockland Hill Washford West Midlands Lichfield Ridge Hill Sutton Coldfield The Wrekin Yorkshire and the Humber Bilsdale Emley Moor Halifax Holme Moss Oliver's Mount Sheffield Scotland Angus Balgownie Black Hill Bonchester Bridge Bressay Craigkelly Darvel Durris Eitshal Eyemouth Galashiels Hawick Jedburgh Keelylang Hill Kirk o'Shotts Knock More Meldrum Mounteagle Rosemarkie Rumster Forest Selkirk Skriaig Tay Bridge Yetholm Wales Arfon Blaenplwyf Carmel Ferryside Flint Haverfordwest Kilvey Hill Llanddona Moel-y-Parc Preseli St Hilary Storeton Wenvoe Wrexham-Rhos Northern Ireland Black Mountain Brougher Mountain Divis Limavady Strabane Italics denotes a transmitter no longer used for transmitting television signals.