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Beacon Hill transmitting station

{{Short description|Radio and television transmitters in Devon, England}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}

{{Use British English|date=July 2019}}

{{Infobox UK Transmitter |

|name = Beacon Hill

|image = 250px

|caption = Beacon Hill A (left) and Beacon Hill B

|map_name = Devon

|coordinates = {{coord|50.446389|-3.610833|type:landmark_region:GB|display=inline,title}}

|height = {{convert|103.6|m|ft}}

|gridref = SX857619

|built =

|demolished =

|collapsed =

|relay =

|BBC = BBC South West

|ITV = ITV West Country

}}

The Beacon Hill transmitting station is an English telecommunications facility located at Beacon Hill, Marldon, Devon. It includes a guyed mast (Beacon Hill A){{gbmapping|SX857619}}, {{coord|50|26|47|N|3|36|39|W|type:landmark}} and a free-standing lattice tower (Beacon Hill B),{{gbmapping|SX857620}}, {{coord|50|26|49.5|N|3|36|37.5|W|type:landmark}} both of which support various antennas.

History

Beacon 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.{{Cite web|url=http://www.thebigtower.com/live/Beacon/index.htm|title=The Big Tower – Beacon Hill|access-date=12 August 2014}}

=Digital switchover=

In April 2009, the analogue television transmissions at Beacon Hill A were turned off, requiring homes in the area to switch to the Freeview service.{{Cite news|url=http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article.html?Analogue_TV_signal_turned_off_in_digital_switch&in_article_id=615362&in_page_id=34|title=Analogue TV signal turned off in digital switch|date=9 April 2009|work=Metro|access-date=12 August 2014}} 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.{{Cite news|first=Leigh|last=Holmwood|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2009/apr/08/digital-tv-switchover-west-country|title=Hundreds lose BBC2 as digital switchover begins in West Country|date=8 April 2009|work=The Guardian|access-date=12 August 2014}}

Services listed by frequency

=Analogue radio=

class="wikitable sortable"

!Frequency

!kWRadio Listeners Guide 2010

!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=

class="wikitable sortable"

!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

{{col-start}}

{{col-2}}

=Digital television=

class="wikitable sortable"

!Frequency

!UHF

!kW

!Operator

!System

{{UK DVB-T|ch=40}}

|40

|10

|Arqiva B

|DVB-T

{{UK DVB-T|ch=41}}

|41

|20

|Digital 3&4

|DVB-T

{{UK DVB-T|ch=42}}

|42

|10

|SDN

|DVB-T

{{UK DVB-T|ch=44}}

|44

|20

|BBC A

|DVB-T

{{UK DVB-T|ch=45}}

|45

|10

|Arqiva A

|DVB-T

{{UK DVB-T|ch=47}}

|47

|20

|BBC B

|DVB-T2

==700MHz clearance==

The 700MHz clearance programme led to the removal of some of the Freeview HD and SD channels from the Beacon Hill transmitter.[https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0028/138871/February-2019-website-update-700-MHz.pdf "700 MHz Clearance Programme"] Ofcom, 27 February 2019. Retrieved 28 March 2019.{{Cite news|url=https://www.freeview.co.uk/tvchanges/beacon-hill|title=Changes to the Freeview channel line-up in Torbay and South Devon|work=Freeview|access-date=20 September 2019}} Prior to 27 March 2019, Beacon Hill used to transmit these services:

class="wikitable sortable"

!{{no2}}Frequency

!{{no2}}UHF

!{{no2}}kW

!{{no2}}Operator

!{{no2}}System

{{UK DVB-T|ch=33}}

|33

|7.3

|COM7

|DVB-T2

{{UK DVB-T|ch=34}}

|34

|1

|COM8

|DVB-T2

{{col-3}}

==Before switchover==

class="wikitable sortable"

!{{no2}}Frequency

!{{no2}}UHF

!{{no2}}kW

!{{no2}}Operator

{{UK DVB-T|ch=52|off=neg}}

|52-

|2

|BBC (Mux 1)

{{UK DVB-T|ch=54|off=pos}}

|54+

|2

|BBC (Mux B)

{{UK DVB-T|ch=56|off=neg}}

|56-

|1

|Arqiva (Mux C)

{{UK DVB-T|ch=58|off=pos}}

|58+

|2

|SDN (Mux A)

{{UK DVB-T|ch=61|off=pos}}

|61+

|2

|Digital 3&4 (Mux 2)

{{UK DVB-T|ch=64|off=pos}}

|64+

|1

|Arqiva (Mux D)

{{col-end}}

=Analogue television=

Analogue 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.

class="wikitable sortable"

!{{no2}}Frequency

!{{no2}}UHF

!{{no2}}kWTelevision Viewers Guide 2009

!{{no2}}Service

{{UK System I|ch=53}}

|53

|100

|Channel 4

{{UK System I|ch=57}}

|57

|100

|BBC1 South West

{{UK System I|ch=60}}

|60

|100

|Westcountry

{{UK System I|ch=63}}

|63

|100

|BBC2 South West

References

{{reflist}}

External links

  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20160304135811/http://www.mds975.co.uk/masts/beaconhill.html Beacon Hill at mds975.co.uk]
  • [http://tx.mb21.co.uk/gallery/beaconhill/ Beacon Hill at The Transmission Gallery]

{{Television transmitters in the UK}}

{{Supertall}}

Category:Buildings and structures in Devon

Category:Transmitter sites in England