Ridge Hill transmitting station

Ridge Hill
Mast height 164.6 metres (540 ft)
Coordinates 51°59′51″N 2°32′24″W / 51.9975°N 2.54°W / 51.9975; -2.54Coordinates: 51°59′51″N 2°32′24″W / 51.9975°N 2.54°W / 51.9975; -2.54
BBC region BBC West Midlands
ITV region ITV Central
ITV West

The Ridge Hill transmitting station is a broadcasting and telecommunications facility located 8.5 miles SE of Hereford in Herefordshire, and close to the border of Gloucestershire. The station transmits the full complement of digital terrestrial multiplexes and an additional ITV West Multiplex. It includes a cable stayed steel lattice mast which has a height of 164.6 metres (540 ft), which in addition to the altitude of the site gives an aerial height of 363 metres (1,191 ft) above mean sea level.

Ridge Hill supplies its signal to 17 relays which allow coverage into "fringe" areas not able to receive a good signal from the main transmitter.

All 5 analogue programme channels were broadcast plus the full 6 digital MUXES although the multiplexes were scattered across the band requiring a wideband aerial for most consumers. Digital switchover was completed on 20 April 2011 where all multiplexes are now located in the Group A antenna band.

In addition to its television output Ridge Hill transmits various radio stations including BBC Hereford and Worcester.

The station covers the south west Midlands, including Herefordshire, and parts of Worcestershire. It also covers parts of the South West, specifically northern Gloucestershire. It does not, however, transmit BBC local programmes for Gloucestershire. These are covered by the Mendip transmitter which cannot be seen from the Gloucester/Cheltenham area.

From 4 December 2006 Ridge Hill broadcast ITV1 West on UHF channel 30 (rebroadcasting the signal from Mendip) in addition to the existing ITV1 Central service on channel 25. This is known as "Ridge Hill West". This followed the restructuring of ITV Regional News and the abolition of the Central South region. As a result, the existing ITV1 Central service now carries news from the West Midlands region, with the new West service being provided for viewers in the south east of the service area in areas such as Gloucester and Cheltenham, which are editorially more closely linked to the west country. This change effectively united ITV coverage for Gloucestershire, as the southern half of the county has always been covered by Mendip and its relays. Since the digital switchover, an extra Digital 3&4 multiplex for ITV1 West has been broadcast on UHF 29.

Services listed by frequency

Analogue radio (FM VHF)

Frequency kW Service
88.6 MHz 10 BBC Radio 2
90.8 MHz 10 BBC Radio 3
93.0 MHz 10 BBC Radio 4
94.7 MHz 2 BBC Hereford and Worcester
97.6 MHz 0.8 Free Radio
98.2 MHz 10 BBC Radio 1
100.4 MHz 0.9 (H)
3.9 (V)		 Classic FM
106.2 MHz 1.6 Sunshine Radio

Digital radio (DAB)

Frequency Block kW[1] Operator
222.064 MHz 11D — Digital One
223.936 MHz 12A MuxCo Herefordshire & Worcestershire
225.648 MHz 12B 10 BBC National DAB

Digital television

Frequency UHF kW Operator System
474.166 MHz 21+ 10 SDN DVB-T
482.166 MHz 22+ 20 BBC B DVB-T2
498.000 MHz 24 10 Arqiva A DVB-T
506.000 MHz 25 20 Digital 3&4 (Central) DVB-T
522.000 MHz 27 10 Arqiva B DVB-T
530.000 MHz 28 20 BBC A DVB-T
538.000 MHz 29 20 Digital 3&4 (West) DVB-T
562.000 MHz 32 4.2 Com 7 HD DVB-T2
610.000 MHz 38 4.2 (Com 8 Projected) DVB-T2

Before switchover

Frequency UHF kW[2] Operator
642.000 MHz 42 2 Arqiva (Mux C)
666.000 MHz 45 2 Arqiva (Mux D)
730.000 MHz 53 2 BBC (Mux 1)
762.000 MHz 57 2 Digital 3&4 (Mux 2)
786.000 MHz 60 2 SDN (Mux A)
810.000 MHz 63 2 BBC (Mux B)

Analogue television

Since April 2011, analogue television has not been broadcast from Ridge Hill. BBC Two was closed on 6 April and the remaining five services on the 20 April.

Frequency UHF kW Service
479.25 MHz 22 100 BBC One
503.25 MHz 25 100 ITV1 Central
527.25 MHz 28 100 BBC Two
543.25 MHz 30 25 (D) ITV1 West
559.25 MHz 32 100 Channel 4
583.25 MHz 35 100 Channel 5

See also

References

  1. ↑ Radio Listeners Guide 2010
  2. ↑ Television Viewers Guide 2009
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