Moorside Edge transmitting station

{{Short description|Transmitter station in West Yorkshire, England}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}

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

{{Infobox UK transmitter

|name = Moorside Edge

|image =

|map_name = West Yorkshire

|coordinates = {{coord|53.635278|-1.89444|type:landmark_region:GB|display=inline,title}}

|location =

|height = {{convert|158|m|ft|0}}

|height2 =

|gridref = SE070154

|built = 1930–31

|demolished =

|collapsed =

}}

Moorside Edge transmitting station, opened in 1931, was originally constructed to radiate the BBC's North Regional (from 17 May on 626 kHz) and National Programmes (from 12 July on 995 kHz).{{cite web | url=http://www.bbceng.info/Technical%20Reviews/dev_am_tx_nw_6a.pdf | title=Development of the BBC A.M. Transmitter Network | date=28 May 2007 | first=Clive | last=McCarthy | publisher=bbceng.info | accessdate=22 July 2019 }}

It is – at 400 kW – one of the most powerful mediumwave radio transmitters in Britain. Formed of two 158-metre-high steel lattice towers, it is located just above Moorside Edge ({{gbmapping|SE070154}}). Other nearby transmitting stations are Holme Moss (11.56 km, bearing 168.17°) and Emley Moor (15.4 km, bearing 99.41°).

File:Moorside Edge 598W L5.jpg

As with most mediumwave transmitters, a good "signal earth" is important and this is assured by the waterlogged nature of the ground on which it is built. The site's location on the Pennine Hills means that signals from Moorside Edge can be received at very long distances: as far north as Scotland, as far south as the Midlands, as far west as Dublin, and well beyond the country's eastern (North Sea) coast.

File:Ruston 6VE and dynamo.jpg generating sets originally installed at Moorside Edge, now preserved at the Internal Fire Museum of Power]]

The station is now owned and operated by Arqiva and broadcasts the following services:

class="wikitable sortable" !Frequency !kW !Service

909 kHz |400 |BBC Radio 5 Live

1089 kHz |400 (night) 200 (day) |Talksport

Formerly:

class="wikitable sortable" !Frequency !kW !Service !Ceased

1215 kHz |200 |Absolute Radio |20 January 2023{{cite web | url=https://radiotoday.co.uk/2023/01/04/absolute-radio-to-switch-off-all-am-transmitters-across-the-uk/ | title=Absolute Radio to switch off all AM transmitters across the UK | date=4 January 2023 }}