Tacolneston transmitting station

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Tacolneston
Height	165.0 metres (541 ft)
Grid Reference	TM131958
Built	1954
BBC Region	BBC East
ITV Region	ITV Anglia

The Tacolneston transmitting station is a facility for both analogue and digital VHF/FM radio and UHF television transmission near Tacolneston, 11 miles southwest of Norwich, Norfolk, England.

It includes a 149.0 metres (489 ft) tall guyed steel lattice mast, which was built in 1956 (completed in late September/early October that year). On top of the mast is located the UHF television transmitting antenna, which brings the overall height of the structure to 165.0 metres (541 ft)^[1].

The station's original mast, built from early 1954, 61 metres (200 ft) tall and first broadcast television transmissions, albeit temporary, from February 1955^[2] and VHF (FM) broadcasts from 6.35pm on Tuesday 30 April 1957^[3].

The transmission site is located at 52° 31′ 3.9″ North, 1° 8' 19.3" East^[4] (National Grid Reference: TM131958^[5]). In July 1989 it was reported that the transmitting station cost almost £500,000 a year to run^[6].

The current mast has an average height of 221 metres above sea level^[7]. It is now owned and operated by National Grid Wireless, but was owned by the BBC before they privatised their transmission department prior to 1997.

National Grid Wireless (NGW) announced, on August 6, 2007^[8]^[9], that they plan to replace the current 165 metres (541 ft) mast with a new 206.1 metres (676 ft)^[1] mast in order to ensure good digital tv reception across East Anglia after digital switchover, which is planned to take place in the area in Jun 2011. NGW also plan to replace the original transmitter hall at this site as it has now reached the end of its useful life.^[10]

1 Channels listed by Frequency
2 References
3 See also
4 External links

[edit] Channels listed by Frequency

Analogue Radio (FM VHF)
- 89.7 MHz - BBC Radio 2
- 91.9 MHz - BBC Radio 3
- 94.1 MHz - BBC Radio 4
- 99.3 MHz - BBC Radio 1
- 101.5 MHz - INR1 (Classic FM)

Digital Radio (DAB)
- Block 12B: 225.648 MHz - BBC MPX
- Block 11D: 218.640 MHz - Now Digital

Analogue Television
- UHF 52 - Five
- UHF 55 - BBC Two
- UHF 59 - ITV1 (Anglia)
- UHF 62 - BBC One (East)
- UHF 65 - Channel 4

Digital Television
- UHF 53 - Multiplex A SDN
- UHF 58 - Multiplex B BBC
- UHF 60 - Multiplex 2 Digital 3&4
- UHF 61 - Multiplex C National Grid Wireless
- UHF 63 - Multiplex 1 BBC
- UHF 64 - Multiplex D National Grid Wireless

[edit] References

^ ^a ^b South Norfolk County Council planning application, January 2008
^ "Eastern Daily Press", Eastern Counties Newspapers (Archant), August 15, 1997.
^ "Eastern Daily Press", Eastern Counties Newspapers, May 1, 1957.
^ Flash Earth. Retrieved on 2007-05-30.
^ (January 1994) Television Transmitting Stations Handbook. BBC & ITC.
^ "Eastern Daily Press", Eastern Counties Newspapers (Archant), July 11, 1989, p. 9.
^ Civil Aviation Authority. Radar Vector Areas in UK Airspace (PDF). Retrieved on 2006-11-29.
^ Eastern Evening News. Retrieved on 2007-08-17.
^ "Eastern Daily Press", Archant Newspapers, August 7, 2007.
^ MB21 Transmission Gallery (News). Retrieved on 2007-08-17.