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″N 3°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 |
The Craigkelly transmitting station[1] is a broadcasting and telecommunications facility located at Craigkelly[2] (grid reference NT233872) north of the Firth of Forth above the town of Burntisland in Fife, Scotland. It has a 125-metre tall free-standing lattice tower reassembled after being moved from its original location at Emley Moor, West Yorkshire, where it was used to broadcast the 405-line ITV service between 1956 and 1966.[3]
The station came into service in 1968 to improve coverage of BBC2 to the Edinburgh area, which has a number of hills blocking good reception from Black Hill. In September 1971 it also started broadcasting BBC1 and Scottish Television on 625 lines in colour and though considered a 'main' station, it actually rebroadcast the signal from the Black Hill transmitting station, like a relay.
In March 1983 Channel 4 was added (five months after programmes began), however Channel 5 was 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 at Digital 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 (see Craigkelly's graph) which were to be switched off between 2020 and 2022. [7]
The tower can be clearly seen from many parts of Edinburgh across 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 to Crail in Fife and Dunbar in Lothian. Kirkcaldy and Glenrothes also 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]
| Before switchover[edit]
|
Analogue television[edit]
Analogue television transmissions ceased from Craigkelly on 15 June 2011.
| Frequency | UHF | kW | Service |
|---|---|---|---|
| 471.25 MHz | 21 | 100 | Channel 4 |
| 495.25 MHz | 24 | 100 | STV (Central) |
| 519.25 MHz | 27 | 100 | BBC Two Scotland |
| 551.25 MHz | 31 | 100 | BBC One Scotland |
| 687.25 MHz | 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.com". fifewalking.com.
- ^ "Craigkelly Coverage Map at The Big Tower". theBigTower.com.
- ^ "Craigkelly at RadioDNS". radiodns.uk.