The Wrekin transmitting station

Infobox UK Transmitter
location = Telford, Shropshire
name = The Wrekin

Location map|Shropshire
label =
lat = 52.671050
long = -2.549788
caption =
float =
width = 250
height = convert|52|m|ft|0|lk=on
gridref= SJ628082
built =
demolished =
collapsed =
BBC = BBC West Midlands
ITV = ITV Central

The Wrekin transmitting station is a telecommunications and broadcasting facility on the The Wrekin, a hill in the county of Shropshire, England. It includes a convert|52|m|ft|0|lk=on tall free-standing lattice tower with transmitting antennas attached at various heights. The analogue transmitting arrays (covered by their fibreglass shroud) add about another 10m to this. At present, it broadcasts all analogue and digital television broadcasts across 15 UHF frequencies, alongside digital and FM (analogue) radio.

Television

Like the neighbouring Granada transmitter, Winter Hill, The Wrekin serves a large part of North and Mid Wales, despite being the incorrect regional variation. The reason for this is because of the obvious carriage of Five at the same quality as channels 1-4, and also it carries the English Channel 4 as opposed to the Welsh equivalent, S4C. In addition, after digital switchover, The Wrekin will carry all six multiplexes while local relays will only carry three. This is a problem, as the Welsh terrain disables many Welsh viewers from receiving DTT from the nearest Welsh transmitter, Moel-y-Parc TV Mast, so the relays of the transmitter to "fill in the gaps" will only carry half the channels. Another reason the viewers of North Wales are tuned to transmitters such as The Wrekin was that Midlands ITV franchisee, ATV launched in 1956, six years before North Wales' franchise, WWN, and viewers tuned to the Wrekin immediately had two channels instead of one with Welsh transmissions.

Analogue Channels

All analogue channels (including Five) are broadcast at 100kW ERP, horizontal polarisation:

*UHF 26: BBC One West Midlands
*UHF 33: BBC Two England
*UHF 23: ITV1 (Central)
*UHF 29: Channel 4
*UHF 35: Five

Digital Channels

Unlike analogue television, the Wrekin has a sub-transmission site designed to serve the east of the region, to fill areas in which the main transmitter does not broadcast into. This was necessary due to co-channel interference issues with Moel-Y-Parc, on channels 42, 45 and 49 (see external links). Unlike the analogue broadcasts, the digital transmissions require a wideband aerial in order to receive multiplex C and D, which are out of the traditional aerial band. All multiplexes are [http://www.dtg.org.uk/retailer/tx_m.html broadcast at 1kW] ERP.

*UHF 21: Multiplex 1 (BBC)
*UHF 31: Multiplex 2 (ITV / Channel 4)
*UHF 24: Multiplex A (SDN / Five)
*UHF 27: Multiplex B (BBC)
*UHF 53: Multiplex C (National Grid Wireless)
*UHF 57: Multiplex D (National Grid Wireless)

also:

*UHF 39: Multiplex 1 (BBC)
*UHF 49: Multiplex 2 (ITV / Channel 4)
*UHF 42: Multiplex A (SDN / Five)
*UHF 45: Multiplex B (BBC)

After digital switchover, it is expected that the frequencies serving the east of the region will be removed for compromise frequencies that has better reception in all areas of the region.

Radio

Alongside television, the Wrekin broadcasts a number of local and national radio stations.

Analogue

The Wrekin broadcasts the following analogue (FM) radio stations:

*FM 96.0: BBC Radio Shropshire
*FM 103.1: Beacon Radio

Digital multiplexes

*BBC
*Digital One
*MXR West Midlands
*NOW Wolverhampton

ee also

*List of towers

External links

* [http://tx.mb21.co.uk/gallery/thewrekin/index.php Entry at the Transmission Gallery]
* [http://www.aerialsandtv.com/thewrekin.html Info and pictures of The Wrekin transmitter (including co-receivable channels)]