The Wrekin transmitting station is a telecommunications and broadcasting facility on The Wrekin, a hill in the county of Shropshire, England. It includes a tall free-standing lattice tower with transmitting antennas attached at various heights. The DTT transmitting arrays add about another 10m to this. It broadcasts digital television, alongside digital and FM (analogue) radio. The station was first proposed in 1966. As The Wrekin is a local beauty spot, many objections had to be overcome and alternative sites analysed before planning consent was given. The transmitter opened in 1975. The building is semi-underground and the tower stands on its roof.
Television The Wrekin serves a large part of North and Mid Shropshire including the towns of Shrewsbury, Telford and Oswestry.
This transmitter has 4 local relays: Buckhall, Clun, Coalbrookdale and Halesowen.
Digital FrequencyUHFkWOperatorSystem2320Digital 3&4DVB-T2620BBC ADVB-T30-20BBC BDVB-T241+10SDNDVB-T4410Arqiva ADVB-T4710Arqiva BDVB-T
Before switchover Unlike analogue television, The Wrekin had a sub-transmission site, also known as The Wrekin B, designed to serve the east of the region, to fill areas in which the main transmitter didn't broadcast into. This was necessary due to co-channel interference issues with Moel-y-Parc, on channels 42, 45 and 49 (see external links). After digital switchover, the frequencies serving the east of the region were removed for compromise frequencies that has better reception in all areas of the region.
FrequencyUHFkWOperator212BBC (Mux 1)24+2SDN (Mux A)27+2BBC (Mux B)312Digital 3&4 (Mux 2)39+†2BBC (Mux 1)42†2SDN (Mux A)45†2BBC (Mux B)49†2Digital 3&4 (Mux 2)531Arqiva (Mux C)571Arqiva (Mux D)
† Transmitted from The Wrekin B.
Analogue Analogue television was switched off during April 2011; BBC2 analogue was switched off on 6 April and BBC1 was moved to BBC2's old frequency, for its final weeks of service. and the remaining four on 20 April.
FrequencyUHFkWService23100Central26100BBC1 Midlands29100Channel 433100BBC2 Midlands35100Channel 5
Radio Alongside television, the Wrekin broadcasts a number of local and national radio stations.
Analogue radio FrequencykWService96.0 MHz4.8BBC Radio Shropshire103.1 MHz2.7Hits Radio Black Country & Shropshire
Digital radio FrequencyBlockkWRadio Listeners Guide 2010Operator211.648 MHz11A4SDL National218.640 MHz11B0.5NOW Wolverhampton222.064 MHz11D8Digital One225.648 MHz12B5BBC National DAB
See also List of towers
References
External links Entry at the Transmission Gallery The Wrekin Transmitter at thebigtower.com