- Croydon transmitting station
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Croydon 
Height of mast 152 metres (499 ft) Built 1955, 1962 BBC region BBC London ITV region ITV London The Croydon transmitting station (also known as the NTL Tower) is a broadcasting and telecommunications facility located on Beulah Hill[1] in Upper Norwood, London, England (grid reference TQ332696), in the London Borough of Croydon, owned by Arqiva. It was founded in 1955 and initially used a small lattice tower. The tower present on the site today is 152 metres (499 ft) high and was built in 1962.
The Croydon Transmitter was originally used to broadcast the London ITV signal on VHF Band III. When UHF broadcasting began the nearby Crystal Palace Transmitter was used. VHF television was discontinued in 1985, and the Croydon Transmitter was not used again for regular TV broadcasting until 1997, when a new directional UHF antenna, designed to avoid interference with continental transmitters, was installed to carry the newly-launched Channel 5 in the London area. It still carries Channel 5's analogue signal, although its digital terrestrial service uses Crystal Palace. Croydon also has reserve transmitters for BBC One, BBC Two, ITV1 and Channel 4, but these are only used in the event of engineering works or a failure at Crystal Palace. When the digital switchover occurs in April 2012, no television signals will be broadcast from Croydon, but will still be used as a backup for Crystal Palace.
The site is also a maintenance base for transmitter teams and previously used to house one of four Regional Operations Centres or ROCs.
Contents
Channels listed by Frequency
Analogue radio (FM VHF)
Frequency kW Service 94.9 MHz N/A BBC Radio London† 95.8 MHz 4 Capital FM 97.3 MHz 4 LBC 100.0 MHz 4 Kiss 100 102.2 MHz 4 Smooth FM 105.4 MHz 4 Magic 106.2 MHz 4 Heart † Backup for Crystal Palace.
Digital radio (DAB)
Frequency Block kW Operator 218.640 MHz 11B 2.5 DRG London 227.360 MHz 12C 5 CE London Analogue television
Frequency UHF kW Service 487.25 MHz 23 N/A ITV1† 511.25 MHz 26 N/A BBC One† 543.25 MHz 30 N/A Channel 4† 567.25 MHz 33 N/A BBC Two† 599.25 MHz 37 1000 Channel 5 † Backup for Crystal Palace.
See also
- Wrotham Transmitter, Brookmans Park Transmitter and Droitwich AM transmitter for the main radio transmitters serving London on VHF, mediumwave and longwave respectively.
- List of towers
- List of tallest buildings and structures in Great Britain
References
External links
- The Transmission Gallery: Croydon Transmitter photographs and information
- BBCEng.info: Story of the rivalry between the ITA and the BBC to be the first to complete their transmitting towers in south London
- Croydon Transmitter at thebigtower.com
Television transmitter and major relay sites in the United Kingdom London and South of England Alexandra Palace · Bluebell Hill · Croydon · Crystal Palace · Dover · Hannington · Heathfield · Midhurst · RowridgeMidlands and East Anglia Lichfield · Oxford · Ridge Hill · Sandy Heath · Sudbury · Sutton Coldfield · Tacolneston · Waltham · The WrekinWest and South West of England Beacon Hill · Caradon Hill · Frémont Point (Channel Islands) · Huntshaw Cross · Mendip · North Hessary Tor · Redruth · Stockland Hill · WenvoeNorth of England Belmont · Berwick-upon-Tweed · Bilsdale · Caldbeck · Chatton · Chesterfield · Emley Moor · Halifax · Oliver's Mount · Pontop Pike · Sandale · Sheffield · Storeton · West Kirby · Winter HillScotland Angus · Balgownie · Black Hill · Bonchester Bridge · Bressay · Craigkelly · Darvel · Durris · Eitshal · Eyemouth · Galashiels · Hawick · Jedburgh · Keelyang Hill · Knock More · Rosemarkie · Rumster Forest · Selkirk · Skriaig · Tay Bridge · YetholmWales Blaenplwyf · Carmel · Ferryside · Flint · Haverfordwest · Kilvey Hill · Llanddona · Mendip · Moel-y-Parc · Preseli · Storeton · Wenvoe · Wrexham-RhosNorthern Ireland Coordinates: 51°24′35″N 0°5′9″W / 51.40972°N 0.08583°W
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