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 , which in addition to the altitude of the site gives an aerial height of above mean sea level.
History Three new television masts for the Midlands were announced in August 1967, including Waltham. Ridge Hill would be near Ledbury. It was due to open March 1968, later moved to open in June 1968,Birmingham Daily Post Wednesday 6 March 1968, page 2Western Daily Press Thursday 7 March 1968, page 7 and finally opened on 30 July 1968.1968 opening
BBC went colour from 11 September 1972, the 34th mast to go colour.The Stage Thursday 7 September 1972, page 11 ITV went colour from 26 February 1973.Western Daily Press Wednesday 21 February 1973, page 6
Transmission 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 the main 6 multiplexes are now located in the Group A antenna band. Since March 2018 MUXES 7 and 8 have been moved up to channels 55 and 56 respectively which are outside the A group, though these are due to be switched off between 2020 and 2022
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 can be seen from the south and west of Gloucester city, and a very much smaller part of Cheltenham.
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.
Services listed by frequency Analogue (FM) FrequencykWRadio Listeners Guide 2010Service88.6 MHz 10BBC Radio 290.8 MHz 10BBC Radio 393.0 MHz 10BBC Radio 494.7 MHz 2BBC Hereford & Worcester97.6 MHZ 0.8Hits Radio Herefordshire & Worcestershire98.2 MHz 10BBC Radio 1100.4 MHz 4.8Classic FM106.2 MHz 1.6Sunshine Radio
Digital (DAB) FrequencyBlockkWOperator216.928 MHz11A2SDL National222.064 MHz11D5Digital One223.936 MHz12A4MuxCo Hereford & Worcester225.648 MHz12B10BBC National DAB Television
Digital FrequencyUHFkWOperatorSystem21+10SDNDVB-T22+20BBC BDVB-T22410Arqiva ADVB-T2520Digital 3&4 (Central)DVB-T2710Arqiva BDVB-T2820BBC ADVB-T292ITV (West)DVB-T5510COM 7DVB-T2
Pre-Switchover FrequencyUHFkWTelevision Viewers Guide 2009Operator422Arqiva (Mux C)452Arqiva (Mux D)532BBC (Mux 1)572Digital 3&4 (Mux 2)602SDN (Mux A)632BBC (Mux B)
Analogue television Since April 2011, analogue television has not been broadcast from Ridge Hill. BBC2 was closed on 6 April and the remaining five services on 20 April.
FrequencyUHFkWService22100BBC1 West Midlands25100Central28100BBC2 West Midlands3025 (D)HTV West32100Channel 435100Channel 5
See also List of tallest buildings and structures in Great Britain Arqiva
References
External links Pictures of Ridge Hill from MB21 transmitter gallery. Ridge Hill at UK TV For Free Ridge Hill West at UK TV For Free Ridge Hill Transmitter at thebigtower.com