Craigkelly transmitting station
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  Craigkelly transmitting station (Fife) | |
| Location | 3QC8+HG, Burntisland KY3 0AJ |
|---|---|
| Tower height | 125 metres (410 ft) |
| Coordinates | 56°04′19″N3°13′59″W/ 56.071944°N 3.233194°W |
| Grid reference | NT233872 |
| Built | 1968 |
| BBC region | BBC Scotland |
| ITV region | STV Central |
| Local TV service | That's TV Scotland |
TheCraigkelly transmitting station[1]is abroadcastingandtelecommunicationsfacility located at Craigkelly[2](grid referenceNT233872) north of theFirth of Forthabove the town ofBurntislandinFife,Scotland.It has a 125-metre tall free-standing lattice tower reassembled after being moved from its original location atEmley Moor,West Yorkshire, where it was used to broadcast the 405-lineITVservice between 1956 and 1966.[3]
The station came into service in 1968 to improve coverage ofBBC2to theEdinburgharea, which has a number of hills blocking good reception from Black Hill. In September 1971 it also started broadcastingBBC1andScottish Televisionon 625 lines in colour and though considered a 'main' station, it actually rebroadcast the signal from theBlack Hill transmitting station,like a relay.
In March 1983Channel 4was added (five months after programmes began), howeverChannel 5was available at its launch on 30 March 1997.[4]
Its tower now also carries antennas for many broadcasting and private radio organisations.
Craigkelly is part of the STV Central TV region.[5]
The transmitter was originally an A group but has become a K group (or wideband) with the advent of Channel 5 and Digital. Craigkelly is one of the few main transmitters which did not return to its original group atDigital Switchover(DSO). However, when Craigkelly went through its 700 MHz clearance[6]in October 2018 all of the main 6 muxes returned to the A group, the only two outside being muxes 7 and 8 (seeCraigkelly's graph) which were to be switched off between 2020 and 2022.[7]
The tower can be clearly seen from many parts ofEdinburghacross the Firth of Forth on its prominent position atop the hill known as The Binn.[8]
Coverage[edit]
Television reception from Craigkelly[9]includes a wide area stretching from Stirling and Falkirk in the central belt, eastwards toCrailin Fife andDunbarin Lothian.KirkcaldyandGlenrothesalso receive a strong signal, as does most of the principal city of Edinburgh.
Transmitted services[edit]
Analogue radio[edit]
| Frequency | kW[10] | Service |
|---|---|---|
| 97.3 MHz | 9.8 | Forth 1 |
| 101.1 MHz | 10 | Heart Scotland |
| 104.1 MHz | 5 | BBC Radio nan Gaidheal |
| 105.7 MHz | 10 | Capital Scotland |
Digital radio[edit]
| Frequency | Block | kW | Operator |
|---|---|---|---|
| 227.060 MHz | 11D | 0.78 | Switch Scotland |
| 223.936 MHz | 12A | 6.8 | Digital One |
| 225.648 MHz | 12B | 5 | BBC National DAB |
| 229.072 MHz | 12D | 1 | Bauer Edinburgh |
Digital television[edit]
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Before switchover[edit]
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Analogue television[edit]
Analogue television transmissions ceased from Craigkelly on 15 June 2011.
| Frequency | UHF | kW | Service |
|---|---|---|---|
| 471.25MHz | 21 | 100 | Channel 4 |
| 495.25MHz | 24 | 100 | STV (Central) |
| 519.25MHz | 27 | 100 | BBC Two Scotland |
| 551.25MHz | 31 | 100 | BBC One Scotland |
| 687.25MHz | 48 | 4 | Channel 5 |
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^"TheBigTower Craigkelly Transmitter".
- ^"Craigkelly Transmitter · Burntisland KY3 0AJ, UK, UK".Craigkelly Transmitter · Burntisland KY3 0AJ, UK.
- ^"Mb21 - ether.net - ITV 405 line TV Transmitters - Yorkshire".
- ^"Mb21 Craigkelly at the Transmission Gallery".
- ^"STV Central TV region"(PDF).ofcom.org.uk.
- ^"700MHz Clearance Programme".freeview.co.uk.
- ^"COM7 Closure Implications".digitaltv.org.uk.
- ^"The Binn at Fifewalking".fifewalking.
- ^"Craigkelly Coverage Map at The Big Tower".theBigTower.
- ^"Craigkelly at RadioDNS".radiodns.uk.