Pontop Pike transmitting station

The Pontop Pike transmitting station is a facility for telecommunications and broadcasting situated on a high hill of the same name between Stanley and Consett, County Durham, near the village of Dipton, England. The mast is high, giving an average antenna height of above sea level. It is owned and operated by Arqiva.

History The mast was built in 1953, by BICC with Rowridge (also ) and North Hessary Tor in Devon ().

Its construction was brought forward by the BBC so that people in North East England could watch the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II live on the 405-line television system VHF then in use in the UK. Test transmissions from a low-power temporary aerial began on Monday, 20 April 1953, and the first programmes were transmitted on Friday, 1 May 1953, in plenty of time for the Coronation on 2 June. UHF transmissions began in 1966 with the first colour transmissions in 1970, and the VHF television signal was switched off in 1985.

It suffered a fire in late May 1973.

Transmission Radio VHF sound broadcasting began on 20 December 1955, with Wenvoe in Wales, on the same current FM frequencies. Only Wrotham in Kent had VHF sound before. The Times Friday December 9 1955

95.4FM Radio Newcastle broadcast from 2 January 1971.The Times Tuesday December 29 1970, page 2

Television BBC television Northern News, from Manchester, was first broadcast in early January 1959, with the Sandale transmitting station in Cumbria.

BBC2 began broadcasting on 5 November 1966 to reach 1.7m viewers, with tests from 22 October 1966.The Times 20 September 1966, page 12

BBC2 colour began on 2 December 1967. BBC1 colour tests began on 30 May 1970, with a full service from 20 June 1970.The Stage 11 June 1970, page 12 ITV colour began from 17 July 1970.The Stage 2 July 1970, page 14The Stage 6 August 1970, page 9

Coverage The Pontop Pike transmitter provides digital television transmissions to Tyne and Wear, County Durham, Tees Valley, most of Northumberland and parts of North Yorkshire. This includes the cities of Newcastle, Durham and Sunderland. It also carries the national BBC Radio FM signals, covering the whole North East, as well as FM BBC Newcastle. It was one of the first national FM transmitters in December 1955. All of its television output is within the C/D aerial group.

Digital TV switchover Analogue TV transmissions from this mast began to close from 12 September 2012 and completely ceased on 26 September that year, making Pontop Pike, alongside Bilsdale and Chatton, the last-but-one transmitter group in the United Kingdom to complete digital switchover (DSO) with Northern Ireland being the last area to switch. In July 2007 it was confirmed by Ofcom that Pontop Pike would remain a C/D group after DSO.

Pontop Pike underwent its clearance between September and November 2019 when its output moved down the band from a C/D group to a K group. Thus, people with original C/D group aerials, who live in poor reception areas, may struggle to pick up some channels.

Services listed by frequency

Analogue radio FrequencykWService 250BBC Radio 2 250BBC Radio 3 250BBC Radio 4 10BBC Radio Newcastle 250BBC Radio 1 65Classic FM

Digital radio FrequencyBlockkWRadio Listeners Guide 2010Operator 11D6.3Digital One 12B10BBC National DAB

Digital television FrequencyUHFkWTelevision Viewers Guide 2009OperatorSystem32100COM4 (SDN)DVB-T335LTVmuxDVB-T34100COM5 (Arqiva A)DVB-T35100COM6 (Arqiva B)DVB-T39100PSB1 (BBC A)DVB-T42100PSB2 (D3&4)DVB-T45100PSB3 (BBC B)DVB-T25519.498COM7 (Arqiva C)DVB-T2

Before 700 MHz clearance FrequencyUHFkWOperatorSystem3333.8COM7 (ARQ C)DVB-T2349.5COM8 (ARQ D)DVB-T249100PSB3 (BBC B)DVB-T25050COM4 (SDN)DVB-T54100PSB2 (D3&4)DVB-T5550COM6 (ARQ B)DVB-T565LTVmuxDVB-T58100PSB1 (BBC A)DVB-T5950COM5 (ARQ A)DVB-T

Before switchover FrequencyUHFkWOperatorSystem4810BBC (Mux 1)DVB-T53-10Arqiva (Mux D)DVB-T55+10Digital 3&4 (Mux 2)DVB-T59+10SDN (Mux A)DVB-T62+10BBC (Mux B)DVB-T6310BBC B (Mux HD)DVB-T265+10Arqiva (Mux C)DVB-T

Analogue television Analogue television from Pontop Pike has now ceased permanently. BBC2 analogue was switched off on 12 September 2012 and the remaining three on 26 September 2012. Pontop Pike never transmitted analogue Channel 5. Instead it was transmitted from Burnhope on UHF 68.

FrequencyUHFkWService54500Channel 458500BBC1 North East61500Tyne Tees64500BBC2 North East

Relay services Being the main broadcasting transmitter, there are also a number of relays (or repeaters) to cover patches where this transmitter can't properly serve.

Analogue radio TransmitterkWR1R2R3R4CFMBilsdale5Fenham0.042Newton0.1Weardale0.18Wensleydale0.054Woolmoor5

Digital television The following is a list of the television relays served by Pontop Pike: TransmitterkWBBCABBCBD3&4SDNARQAARQBPol.A.G.Allenheads0.002272124VA KAlston0.08334836VB KBellingham0.02272124VA KBlaydon Burn0.002444741VB KByrness0.01272124VA KCatton Beacon0.028404643VB KDurham0.003414744VB KEsh0.0024293731VA KFalstone0.004444741VB KFelling0.002404346VB KFenham0.4233026252228VA KHaltwhistle0.4213731VA KHaydon Bridge0.02444147VB KHedleyhope0.004414744VB KHumshaugh0.0118293731VA KIreshopeburn0.0022293731VA KKielder0.0054262329VA KMorpeth0.0088222825VA KNewton0.4212724VA KSeaham0.059414744VB KShotleyfield0.04222825VA KStaithes0.004334836VKSunderland0.006414744VB KWall0.0042404643HB KWeardale0.2444147VB KWhitaside0.0025444147VB K

Pontop Pike transmitting station

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