Pontop Pike transmitting station

Infobox UK Transmitter
name = Pontop Pike

Pontop Pike mast, left, with dish aerial array to the right
height = convert|149|m|ft|0|lk=on
gridref= NZ148526
built = 1953
demolished =
collapsed =
BBC =

The Pontop Pike transmitting station is a facility for telecommunications and broadcasting situated on a 205 metre high hill of the same name, between Stanley and Consett, County Durham, near the village of Dipton, England. The mast is convert|149|m|ft|0|lk=on high, giving average transmitter height of 450 metres above sea level. It is owned and operated by National Grid Wireless.

History

The mast was built in 1953 and its construction was brought forward by the BBC so that people in North East England could watch the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II live on the 405-lines monochrome VHF television system then in use in the UK. Test transmissions from a low-power temporary aerial began on Monday, 20 April, 1953, and the first programmes were transmitted on Friday, 1 May, 1953, in plenty of time for the Coronation on 2 June. UHF transmissions (625 line colour) began in 1966 and the VHF television signal was switched off in 1985.

Coverage

The Pontop Pike transmitter provides UHF analogue and digital television transmissions to Tyne and Wear, County Durham, Tees Valley, most of Northumberland and parts of North Yorkshire. It also carries the national BBC Radio FM signals, covering the whole North East, as well as 95.4FM Radio Newcastle. It was one of the first national FM transmitters in December 1955. All of its television output (analogue and digital is within the C/D group.

Digital TV switchover

Analogue TV transmissions from this mast are due to cease on 25 October 2012, making Pontop Pike the very last transmitter in Great Britain to complete digital switchover (DSO). In July 2007 it was confirmed by Ofcom that Pontop Pike would remain a C/D group after DSO.

Channels listed by Frequency

* Analogue Radio (FM VHF)
** 88.5 MHz - BBC Radio 2
** 90.7 MHz - BBC Radio 3
** 92.9 MHz - BBC Radio 4
** 95.4 MHz - BBC Radio Newcastle
** 98.1 MHz - BBC Radio 1
** 100.3 MHz - Classic FM

* Analogue Television
** UHF 54 - Channel 4
** UHF 58 - BBC One
** UHF 61 - ITV1 (ITV Tyne Tees)
** UHF 64 - BBC Two

Pontop Pike transmitter does not transmit analogue Channel Five. Instead, this channel is transmitted from a transmitter near Burnhope, on UHF 68.

* Digital Television
** UHF 48 - Multiplex 1 (BBC)
** UHF 53 - Multiplex D (National Grid Wireless)
** UHF 55 - Multiplex 2 (ITV)
** UHF 59 - Multiplex A (SDN)
** UHF 62 - Multiplex B (BBC)
** UHF 65 - Multiplex C (National Grid Wireless)

ee also

* List of masts
* List of radio stations in the United Kingdom

External links

* [http://www.aerialsandtv.com/pontoppiketx.html Info and pictures of Pontop Pike and Burnhope including co-receivable transmitters.]
* [http://tx.mb21.co.uk/gallery/pontop-pike.php Entry on Pontop Pike on Mike Brown's mb21 site]
* [http://www.ofcom.org.uk/static/reception_advice/digital_trans_guide/show_transmitter.asp-siteID=38.html OFCOM television reception advice for Pontop Pike]
* [http://www.testcardcircle.org.uk/Back50s.html Historical essay with some background detail]
* [http://tx.mb21.co.uk/info/405/bbc/bbc405txmap.shtml Map] showing the old 405-lines transmitter network and coverage.