The Beacon Hill transmitting station is an English telecommunications facility located at Beacon Hill, Marldon, Devon. It includes a guyed mast (Beacon Hill A)[1] and a free-standing lattice tower (Beacon Hill B),[2] both of which support various antennas.
Beacon Hill A (left) and Beacon Hill B | |
Beacon Hill transmitting station (Devon) | |
| Mast height | 103.6 metres (340 ft) |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 50°26′47″N 3°36′39″W / 50.446389°N 3.610833°W |
| Grid reference | SX857619 |
| BBC region | BBC South West |
| ITV region | ITV West Country |
History
editBeacon Hill A became operational in 1972–3, bringing 625 line PAL colour television to the coverage area of Torbay and south Devon. Beacon Hill B transmits FM radio and DAB radio to the area. In 2007, a third guyed lattice mast was constructed at the site to provide medium wave transmissions for Gold (Exeter/Torbay). The transmitter for Gold was dismantled after the service was discontinued.[3]
Digital switchover
editIn April 2009, the analogue television transmissions at Beacon Hill A were turned off, requiring homes in the area to switch to the Freeview service.[4] The Beacon Hill transmitter group was the first in the South West of England to stop broadcasting analogue television services. BBC Two ceased at 00:50 on 8 April 2009 and the remaining analogue signals were turned off on 22 April 2009 at 00:20.[5]
Services listed by frequency
editAnalogue radio
edit| Frequency | kW[6] | Service |
|---|---|---|
| 88.7 MHz | 1 | BBC Radio 2 |
| 90.9 MHz | 1 | BBC Radio 3 |
| 93.1 MHz | 1 | BBC Radio 4 |
| 96.4 MHz | 1.8 | Heart West |
| 98.4 MHz | 1 | BBC Radio 1 |
| 104.3 MHz | 1 | BBC Radio Devon |
| 105.5 MHz | 1.6 | Greatest Hits Radio Devon |
Digital radio
edit| Frequency | Block | kW | Operator |
|---|---|---|---|
| 220.352 MHz | 11C | 2 | NOW Exeter and Torbay |
| 222.064 MHz | 11D | 2 | Digital One |
| 225.648 MHz | 12B | 5 | BBC National DAB |
Digital televisionedit
700MHz clearanceeditThe 700MHz clearance programme led to the removal of some of the Freeview HD and SD channels from the Beacon Hill transmitter.[7][8] Prior to 27 March 2019, Beacon Hill used to transmit these services:
|
Before switchoveredit
|
Analogue television
editAnalogue television signals ceased in April 2009. BBC2 was closed on 8 April 2009, with ITV Westcountry temporarily moving into its place, followed by the remaining services on 22 April.
| Frequency | UHF | kW[9] | Service |
|---|---|---|---|
| 727.25 MHz | 53 | 100 | Channel 4 |
| 759.25 MHz | 57 | 100 | BBC1 South West |
| 783.25 MHz | 60 | 100 | Westcountry |
| 807.25 MHz | 63 | 100 | BBC2 South West |
References
edit- ^ grid reference SX857619, 50°26′47″N 3°36′39″W / 50.44639°N 3.61083°W
- ^ grid reference SX857620, 50°26′49.5″N 3°36′37.5″W / 50.447083°N 3.610417°W
- ^ "The Big Tower – Beacon Hill". Retrieved 12 August 2014.
- ^ "Analogue TV signal turned off in digital switch". Metro. 9 April 2009. Retrieved 12 August 2014.
- ^ Holmwood, Leigh (8 April 2009). "Hundreds lose BBC2 as digital switchover begins in West Country". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 August 2014.
- ^ Radio Listeners Guide 2010
- ^ "700 MHz Clearance Programme" Ofcom, 27 February 2019. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
- ^ "Changes to the Freeview channel line-up in Torbay and South Devon". Freeview. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
- ^ Television Viewers Guide 2009