The Angus transmitting station is a broadcasting and telecommunications facility, situated approximately five miles due north of Dundee, between the villages of Charleston and Tealing, Scotland (). It includes a guyed steel lattice mast which is 229.5 metres (753 ft) in height. Mounted at the top are the UHF television antennas, contained within a GRP shroud. These antennas have an average height above Ordnance Datum of 547 metres (1,795 ft). It is owned and operated by Arqiva.

History It was constructed in 1965 by the ITA, having been chosen as a suitable site for high power colour UHF transmissions.

The construction contract was given to J. L. Eve Construction in April 1963, to be built at Harecairn by early 1964, for the Tayside area, but not Dundee, which had a separate relay station.Brechin Advertiser Thursday 11 April 1963, page 8Forfar Dispatch Thursday 11 April 1963, page 5Broughty Ferry Guide Saturday 7 September 1963, page 9

The relay station was built by Laird Brothers, of Forfar, to open in the summer of 1964.Brechin Advertiser Thursday 19 September 1963, page 7

The site opened in October 1965, with ITV on Channel 11.Arbroath Herald Friday 17 September 1965, page 14 It was built at Balcalk Hill.Arbroath Herald Friday 8 October 1965, page 8

Opening The first broadcasts began on VHF channel 11 in black and white, from 13 October 1965Forfar Dispatch Thursday 14 October 1965, page 4 A new television production site in Dundee was built later.Brechin Advertiser Thursday 14 October 1965, page 6

Transmission Trade testing of BBC2 in colour began on Monday 14 July 1969, going into full service on Monday 28 July 1969 on channel 68.Broughty Ferry Guide Saturday 19 July 1969, page 5

BBC1 in colour began from Saturday 2 October 1971, for 300,000 viewers, six months ahead of schedule.Brechin Advertiser Thursday 30 September 1971, page 7

In May 1972, the ITA announced that ITV would broadcast in colour from September 1972. ITV would add colour from Saturday 30 September 1972.Brechin Advertiser Thursday 14 September 1972, page 7Forfar Dispatch Thursday 14 September 1972, page 3 405 line TV transmissions ceased on the 9th of July 1984.

Channel 5 was never available in analogue from Angus, but it was from Perth on channel 55 and Tay Bridge on 34.

Coverage area The site covers parts of the Dundee City council area, eastern Perth and Kinross, southern Angus and north and east Fife. Reception is also possible in much of north and east Edinburgh and the coastal areas of East Lothian, as far along as the town of Dunbar.

Relay transmitters

Tay Bridge transmitting station (), which is owned and operated by Arqiva.

Channels listed by frequency Analogue radio (FM VHF) FrequencykWRadio Listeners Guide 2010ServiceHV100.1 MHz2.1258.5Classic FM102.8 MHz14Tay FM

† Mixed polarisation.

Digital radio (DAB) FrequencyBlockkWOperator218.640 MHz11B3Score Dundee222.064 MHz12A10Digital One225.648 MHz12B10BBC National DAB

Television

Analogue 28 July 1969 – 1972 FrequencyUHFkWService63100BBC2 Scotland

1972 – November 1982 FrequencyUHFkWService57100BBC1 Scotland60100Grampian63100BBC2 Scotland

November 1982 – 14 November 1998 Channel 4 was launched on UHF 53 FrequencyUHFkWService53100Channel 457100BBC1 Scotland60100Grampian63100BBC2 Scotland

Analogue and digital

15 November 1998 – 3 August 2010 Digital terrestrial television was first transmitted from the Angus mast from 15 November 1998 using the frequency gaps between the analogue TV broadcasts. To limit interference to the analogue transmissions, power output on the digital multiplexes was low.

FrequencyUHFkWOperatorSystem53100Channel 4PAL System I56-2Arqiva (Mux C)DVB-T57100BBC One ScotlandPAL System I59-4SDN (Mux A)DVB-T60100STV (North) (Grampian until 2006)PAL System I62-4BBC (Mux B)DVB-T63100BBC Two ScotlandPAL System I65-2Arqiva (Mux D)DVB-T66+4Digital 3&4 (Mux 2)DVB-T684BBC (Mux 1)DVB-T

4 August 2010 - 17 August 2010

On 4 August 2010, BBC2 was switched off on UHF 63 and STV was switched from UHF 60 for its final weeks of service. Multiplex 1 on UHF 68 was closed and replaced by BBC A on UHF 60 (which had just been vacated by analogue STV). BBC A was transmitted at full power (20 kW) and in 64QAM, 8k carriers mode from the start.

FrequencyUHFkWOperatorSystem53100Channel 4PAL System I56-2Arqiva (Mux C)DVB-T57100BBC One ScotlandPAL System I59-4SDN (Mux A)DVB-T6020BBC ADVB-T62-4BBC (Mux B)DVB-T63100STV (North)PAL System I65-2Arqiva (Mux D)DVB-T66+4Digital 3&4 (Mux 2)DVB-T

Digital

18 August 2010 to 16 April 2013

Following the completion of analogue TV shutdown on 18 August 2010, Angus transmitted all of its higher powered multiplexes at 20 kW for PSB 1, 2 and 3, and 10 kW for COM 4, 5 and 6. From this date the frequency allocation was:

FrequencyUHFkWOperatorSystem5320Digital 3&4DVB-T5410SDNDVB-T5720BBC BDVB-T25810Arqiva ADVB-T6020BBC ADVB-T6110Arqiva BDVB-T

17 April 2013 to 26 November 2019

Due to the clearance of the 800 MHz band, Arqiva B was moved from UHF 61 to UHF 49 and BBC A gained a negative offset. Also during this time, COM 7 and 8 and the Local TV multiplex launched.

FrequencyUHFkWOperatorSystem481Local TVDVB-T4910Arqiva BDVB-T5320Digital 3&4DVB-T5410SDNDVB-T555COM 7DVB-T2565COM 8DVB-T25720BBC BDVB-T25810Arqiva ADVB-T60-20BBC ADVB-T

27 November 2019 to 24 June 2020 Due to the clearance of the 700 MHz band, the following channels come into use: FrequencyUHFkWOperatorSystem3310SDNDVB-T341Local TVDVB-T3610Arqiva ADVB-T3920BBC ADVB-T4220Digital 3&4DVB-T4520BBC BDVB-T24810Arqiva BDVB-T555COM 7DVB-T2565COM 8DVB-T2

25 June 2020 to Present Due to the clearance of UHF 56 (COM8), in the 700 MHz band, the following channels come into use: FrequencyUHFkWOperatorSystem3310SDNDVB-T341Local TVDVB-T3610Arqiva ADVB-T3920BBC ADVB-T4220Digital 3&4DVB-T4520BBC BDVB-T24810Arqiva BDVB-T555COM 7DVB-T2

Digital Switchover: on the 4th of August 2010 BBC2 was switched off on UHF 63 and STV moved from that channel 60 TO BBC2'S old frequenecy to allow bbc A to launch on STV's old Frequency, MUX 1 on 68 was switched off and repalced by BBC A (which have been vacanted by Analogue STV) BBC A was transmitted at full power (20 kW) and in 64QAM, 8k carriers mode from the start.

See also List of masts List of tallest buildings and structures in Great Britain List of radio stations in the United Kingdom

References

External links

Photographs and information at The Transmission Gallery Angus Transmitter at thebigtower