Bluebell Hill transmitting station

{{Short description|Broadcasting facility in Kent, England}}

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

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

{{unreferenced|date=February 2018}}

{{Infobox UK transmitter

|name = Bluebell Hill transmitting station

|image = Bluebell Hill transmitter 1000W L5.jpg

|map_name = Kent

|coordinates = {{coord|51.324|0.52054|type:landmark_region:GB|display=inline,title}}

|built = 1974

|gridref = TQ757613

|height2 = {{convert|52.5|m|ft|0}} (A)
{{convert|55|m|ft|0}} (B)
{{convert|46|m|ft|0}} (C)
{{convert|43|m|ft|0}} (South)

|BBC = BBC South East

|ITV = ITV Meridian (East)

|localtv = KMTV Kent

}}

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 tall - their height being limited by the location of nearby Rochester Airport. It broadcasts digital television, FM and DAB radio to much of north, west, 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. When in analogue service, the broadcast power of 30 kW for a main transmitter was unique in the United Kingdom, the strength being limited by potential interference with transmitters in France and the Low Countries. Four of the towers are used for broadcast services with the fifth used for general communications.

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(weekends), being switched on 1 January 1982 to carry signals from the new ITV franchise TVS (Television South), until superseded on 1 January 1993 by ITV Meridian (East) for ITV in the south east.

This transmitter has 4 relays: Chatham Town, Farleigh, Gillingham Testing Centre and Sittingbourne.

Bluebell Hill was originally an E group for analogue, then became a B group at DSO. At its 700 MHz clearance in July 2018 it became a K group (excluding the temporary MUXES 7 and 8). Most E groups and B groups, as well as widebands and K groups, will work satisfactorily on Bluebell Hill (see [https://www.aerialsandtv.com/knowledge/transmitters/bluebell-hill#bluebell-hill-transmitter-graph graph]).

Northern parts of Kent such as Dartford, Swanley, Westerham, Gravesend, and most of Sevenoaks cannot get television signals from the Bluebell Hill transmitter but instead their signals from the Crystal Palace transmitter.