The Moel-y-Parc transmitting station is situated on Moel y Parc, a hill in north-east Wales at the northern end of the Clwydian range, close to the town of Caerwys and several miles (kilometres) north-east of Denbigh. It was built in 1962/1963 by the ITA to bring 405-line VHF ITV television to North Wales and it has been on the air since 1963. Its original height of made it the tallest structure in North Wales and it stands on land that is itself about above sea level. In 1965, VHF television transmissions from the BBC commenced from the site.

With the addition of the UHF aerials in 1969, the mast height increased to high. Its official coverage area includes parts of Flintshire, Denbighshire and Wrexham (although the majority of Wrexham is in a blind spot of direct transmission from Moel-y-Parc, its analogue transmissions were relayed via the Wrexham-Rhos transmitting station). A network of relay stations extends television coverage as far as Colwyn Bay in the west and Bala in the south.

VHF television services from both BBC and ITV were discontinued in January 1985 as the 405-line TV system was switched off across the UK as a whole.

Moel-y-Parc's UHF channel allocation made it a "Group B" transmitter, but with the roll-out of the UK's first digital TV services in 1998, a "Group W" wideband aerial was needed. The site reverted to being a "Group B" transmitter at digital switchover (DSO). Technically, with the advent of the temporary MUXES 7 and 8 Moel Y Parc became a K group, and is due to remain so at its 700 MHz clearance. However most B group aerials will still work on all Moel's transmitted DTT channels.

The site is currently operated by Arqiva.

Channels listed by frequency

Analogue television

28 January 1963 – 28 October 1965 The ITV 405-line television service commenced with Teledu Cymru on 28 January 1963.

One year later, Wales (West and North) Limited had collapsed financially, and the ITA awarded the franchise to provide the service from 27 January 1964 for the West and North Wales region to Television Wales and West, the holder of the franchise for the South Wales and West of England region.

FrequencyVHFkWService1125Teledu Cymru until 1964 TWW from 1964

28 October 1965 – 5 July 1969 BBC 405-line TV was added, obtaining its signal from an SHF link on the Great Orme which picked up the signal from Llanddona on Anglesey.

Until the mid-1960s, it had been common practice for BBC and ITV transmitters to be hosted from different masts. Moel-y-Parc had been engineered to take both services and be capable of the UHF transmission when they arrived. Additionally (and unusually) the BBC's VHF television transmissions were on Band III as were the ITA's transmissions. Having both services on the same mast meant that the region's viewers only needed one aerial.

This was the final BBC VHF television "main station" to be commissioned. The BBC published a technical report on the mast and its aerials.

FrequencyVHFkWService615BBC1 Wales1125TWW until March 1968

ITSWW from March 1968 until May 1968

HTV Wales from May 1968

5 July 1969 - 1973 FrequencyVHFUHFkWService6—15BBC1 Wales11—25HTV Wales—45100BBC2 Wales

1973 - 1 November 1982 BBC1 & ITV transmissions launched on UHF. FrequencyVHFUHFkWService6—15BBC1 Wales11—25HTV Wales—45100BBC2 Wales—49100HTV Wales—52100BBC1 Wales

1 November 1982 – 3 January 1985 Channel 4 was launched in the UK. Being in Wales, this transmitter radiated S4C FrequencyVHFUHFkWService6—15BBC1 Wales11—25HTV Wales—42100S4C—45100BBC2 Wales—49100HTV Wales—52100BBC1 Wales

3 January 1985 – 15 November 1998 405-line television was switched off across the UK and both Moel-y-Parc's VHF transmitters ceased operation after 20 and 22 years of service for the BBC and ITV respectively. +FrequencyUHFkWServiceSystem639.25 MHz42100S4CPal System I663.25 MHZ45100BBC2 WalesPAL695.25 mhz49100HTV WalesPAL719.25 mhz52100BBC1 WalesPAL

Analogue and digital television

15 November 1998 – 28 October 2009 This was where the DVB-T system was rolled out across the UK on the 15th of November 1998 FrequencyUHFkWServiceSystem300.25Arqiva (Mux C)DVB-T340.25Arqiva (Mux D)DVB-T42100S4CPAL System I45100BBC2 WalesPAL System I49100HTV WalesPAL System I52100BBC1 WalesPAL System I541BBC (Mux 1)DVB-T581Digital 3&4 (Mux 2)DVB-T611SDN (Mux A)DVB-T641BBC (Mux B)DVB-T

28 October 2009 – 25 November 2009 FrequencyUHFkWServiceSystem300.25Arqiva (Mux C)DVB-T340.25Arqiva (Mux D)DVB-T42100S4CPAL System I4520BBC ADVB-T49100HTV Wales PAL System I52100BBC1 WalesPAL System I581Digital 3&4 (Mux 2)DVB-T611SDN (Mux A)DVB-T641BBC (Mux B)DVB-T On the 28th of October 2009, BBC2 Wales analogue on UHF channel 45 was switched off after 40 years in service. Then BBC (A) was launched on BBC2 Wales's old channel number/ and the 54 1 BBC (Mux 1) DVB-T was switched off and replaced by BBC A on the old BBC2 Wales frequency. BBC A started on full power (20 kW), and from 8K at the start & QAM64

Digital television

25 November 2009 – 14 November 2012 As part of the digital switchover, analogue BBC2 Wales ceased transmission on 28 October 2009, followed by analogue BBC1 Wales, HTV Wales and S4C on 25 November 2009. They were replaced by higher powered digital transmissions.

FrequencyUHFkWTelevision Viewers Guide 2009Operator4220BBC B4520BBC A48-10Arqiva B49+20Digital 3&451-10SDN5212.5Arqiva A

14 November 2012 – 26 February 2019 In coordination with changes to transmission frequencies elsewhere in the UK arising from the clearance of the 800 MHz band for 4G mobile phone use, Moel-y-Parc's "Digital 3&4" multiplex was moved from channel 49+ to channel 39+.

FrequencyUHFkWTelevision Viewers Guide 2009Operator39+20Digital 3&44220BBC B4520BBC A48-10Arqiva B51-10SDN5212.5Arqiva A

26 April 2017

The transmission of the local television "LOC1" multiplex (DVB-t system with QPSK modulation) from Moel-y-Parc on UHF channel 56 with ERP of 2 kW commenced.

Although a licence had been issued in January 2014 to Bay TV Clwyd (subsequent to the launch of Bay TV Liverpool) to start a local television service for North East Wales from studios in Mold, it was not until 26 April 2017 that the successor company Made TV which had taken over the operations of bankrupt Bay TV, was able to launch the local television "LOC1" multiplex to carry the "Made in North Wales TV" service.

Local reaction to the launch was highly critical because production of programming was no longer to be in Mold within the licensed service area, but at the studios of "Made in Liverpool" in Toxteth, Liverpool.

27 February 2019 – 11 August 2020 In coordination with changes to transmission frequencies elsewhere in the UK arising from the clearance of the 700 MHz band for 5G mobile phone use, the following changes were implemented. The local TV "LOC1" multiplex (carrying North Wales TV) was moved from UHF channel 56 to UHF channel 27, and the transmission ERP increased from 2 kW to 3 kW. The "Arqiva A" multiplex was moved from UHF channel 52 to UHF channel 36. The national "COM7" multiplex was moved from UHF channel 32 to UHF channel 55 and the transmission ERP increased from 14 kW to 16 kW.

FrequencyUHFkWOperatorSystem273LTV (North Wales TV)DVB-T (QPSK)3414COM8DVB-T2 (QAM/256)3610Arqiva ADVB-T (QAM/64)39+20Digital 3&4DVB-T (QAM/64)4220BBC BDVB-T2 (QAM/256)4520BBC ADVB-T (QAM/64)48-10Arqiva BDVB-T (QAM/64)51-10SDNDVB-T (QAM/64)5516COM7DVB-T2 (QAM/256)

With the changes on 27 February 2009, the corresponding frequency of each public service multiplex transmitted from Storeton was also changed to the same as that transmitted from Moel-y-Parc, thereby making each site a constituent part of a single-frequency network (SFN), resulting in a significant improvement in reception quality at locations where signals were being received from both sites but where neither was consistently adequate.

June 30, 2020

The transmission of the national "COM8" multiplex from Moel-y-Parc on UHF channel 34 ceased.

A commercial decision had been taken by Arqiva to discontinue transmission of the national "COM8" multiplex having failed to obtain a response from Ofcom concerning the duration of the future availability of the transmission frequencies used.

12 August 2020 - present In coordination with changes to transmission frequencies elsewhere in the UK arising from the clearance of the 700 MHz band for 5G mobile phone use, Moel-y-Parc's "SDN" multiplex was moved from UHF channel 51 to UHF channel 33.

FrequencyUHFkWOperatorSystem273LTV (North Wales TV)DVB-T (QPSK)3310SDNDVB-T (QAM/64)3610Arqiva ADVB-T (QAM/64)39+20Digital 3&4DVB-T (QAM/64)4220BBC BDVB-T2 (QAM/256)4520BBC ADVB-T (QAM/64)48-10Arqiva BDVB-T (QAM/64)5516COM7DVB-T2 (QAM/256)

Analogue radio (FM VHF) FrequencykWService106.9 MHz0.44Heart North and Mid Wales

Digital radio (DAB) FrequencyBlockkWOperator213.360 MHz10C1.2†Bauer Liverpool215.072 MHz10D3kWMuxCo Wrexham, Chester and Liverpool†216.928 MHz 11A10Sound Digital222.064 MHz11D9.5Digital One225.648 MHz12B10BBC National DAB On air date March 2013Radio Listeners Guide 2010 † Relay of Winter Hill

Reception area In terms of land area and population, Moel-y-Parc delivers a receivable signal to a greater area, and a greater number of potential viewers, in North West England than in its intended coverage area of north-east Wales. Transmissions can be received using standard aerials in most of Merseyside, parts of Greater Manchester, parts of Lancashire as far north as Blackpool, and Wales-facing coastal areas of Cumbria and the Isle of Man. In the past, some English viewers have erected a second aerial for Moel-y-Parc in order to receive a slightly increased choice of viewing, although this practice has declined with the introduction of satellite television and the reduction in schedule variations between different ITV regions. Liverpool is located directly between the Winter Hill transmitter and Moel-y-Parc. Many homes across Merseyside county obtain an adequate signal through their TV aerial from Moel-y-Parc, even though the aerial is pointing at Winter Hill. With the advent of digital television, this has resulted in television tuners detecting the multiplexes broadcast from Moel-y-Parc on the lower frequencies before those on the higher frequencies from Winter Hill during the scanning/retune operation, and without viewer intervention where software allows region selection or by manual re-ordering, placing the Welsh variants on the allocated Freeview EPG logical channel number entries.

The Welsh variations of services (BBC One Wales, BBC Two Wales, ITV Wales) transmitted from Moel-y-Parc contend with the North West variations of services (BBC One North West, BBC Two, ITV Granada) transmitted from Winter Hill, which can also be received in the Wrexham area and along the North Wales coast.

Until 28 January 1963 and the start of transmissions of Teledu Cymru/WWN (Wales West and North Television) on VHF channel 11 from Moel-y-Parc, the only official ITV providers for North East Wales were Granada Television (in Manchester) during the week and ABC Television at the weekend, both transmitted on VHF channel 9 from Winter Hill. Pressure for a distinctly Welsh TV station was one of the driving forces behind the construction of the Moel-y-Parc mast, along with the need to deliver television to the more mountainous interior of Wales, which was out of range of English transmitters.