Flint TV relay

The Flint TV relay is a television transmitter housed on a residential tower block called Bolingbroke Heights at the centre of the Town of Flint in North Wales. Flint is situated on the estuary of the River Dee which forms part the Wales border with England.

Since 1996, the mast has provided analogue TV access to both BBC Wales and S4C to most of the town's residents. Its transmissions utilise spare UHF capacity in which to relay transmissions from the Moel Y Parc transmitter on low power (via another similar relay in nearby Bagillt). Due to limited capacity, it was not possible for the site to carry BBC Two Wales or ITV Wales. Owing to the constraints of local geography and location of the main Moel Y Parc TV Transmitter, residents in the town and some surrounding areas had previously been unable to fully access Welsh television output (provided in both the Welsh and English languages). Reception of the Welsh TV stations varied from poor to un-viewable and as a consequence programming was supplied almost exclusively by the North West of England based TV stations such as Granada Television, easily receivable with a set top aerial. As Flint falls outside the normal coverage area of these TV stations, reference in local programming was rarely ever made to the area. The relay was only installed following a campaign spearheaded by the Welsh-language group "Teledu I Pawb" (English: "Television For All"). The group considered the bias toward North West of England regional TV programming across many parts of the North Wales coastal strip unacceptable and detrimental to the preservation and promotion of the Welsh Language, culture and national identity. Similar relays were installed at the same time in the nearby Village of Bagillt and the Town of Holywell. The latter also transmits BBC Radio Cymru. It is estimated that the three relays have made available Welsh regional TV programming to some 24,000 to 30,000 residents. A number of nearby localities remain without any terrestrial access to Welsh TV and radio output including Mostyn and Fynnongroyw. Viewers (and listeners) in these areas (and indeed across the UK) can however pick-up all the Welsh TV and radio output via Sky Digital satellite.

Present

*UHF 46: BBC Wales
*UHF 53: S4C

Future

After digital switchover, the mast will relay two of the six (confirmed) digital multiplexes from Moel-y-Parc. [http://www.ukfree.tv/shutdowndetail.php?tx=SJ243732]

*UHF 57: Multiplex 2 (ITV / Channel 4)
*UHF 60: Multiplex B (BBC "also S4C and Five")

It is uncertain whether multiplex 1, owned by the BBC carrying BBC Wales, will be carried on the antenna. It may or may not replace Multiplex 2 on UHF 57 (as BBC Wales currently broadcasts on site, ITV Wales does not), however this is speculation and is unconfirmed.

External links

* [http://tx.mb21.co.uk/gallery/fflint.php The Transmission Gallery: Photographs and Information (Flint TV relay)]