Fremont Point
Fremont Point tower.
Fremont Point transmitting station is located in Channel Islands
Fremont Point transmitting station
Fremont Point transmitting station (Channel Islands)
Mast height139 metres (456 ft)
Coordinates49°15′06″N 2°07′52″W / 49.251667°N 2.131111°W / 49.251667; -2.131111
Grid referenceUT634559
Built1962
BBC regionBBC Channel Islands
ITV regionITV Channel Television

The Fremont Point transmitting station is a facility for FM radio and television transmission at Fremont, Vingtaine du Nord, Saint John, Jersey.

It serves the whole of the Channel Islands, either directly or via the relay stations[1] at Mont Orgueil, Alderney, Saint Brelade, Saint Helier, St Peter Port, Torteval and Les Touillets - the last of which is a high power relay which covers most of Guernsey. Its antennas are mounted on a 139 metres (456 ft) tall tower built of lattice steel. That transmitter was previously located at Lichfield in Staffordshire.[2] It is owned by Arqiva. DAB radio on VHF Band III is now transmitted from this site.

History

The transmitter was constructed by the then Independent Television Authority to bring Independent Television to the Channel Islands in the form of the ITV franchise Channel Television. The BBC had already been transmitting their BBC Television Service (renamed BBC1 from April 1964) to the Channel Islands from the "Les Platons" transmitter site since October 1955.

Channel Television commenced broadcasting from the transmitter on 1 September 1962.

On 24 July 1976 the transmitter became the main transmitter site in the Channel Islands and commenced broadcasting in UHF 625 line for the first time, not only for Channel Television but also for BBC1 and BBC2 (BBC2 launched in the Channel Islands on the same day, with the Channel Islands being the last region to get BBC2).

Colour television also commenced for the first time on 24 July 1976 from the transmitter. The Channel Islands were the last region to get colour television due to the technical difficulties in providing a UHF link from the UK mainland to the Channel Islands.[3][4]

Services available

Analogue radio

Frequency kW Service
103.7 MHz 2 Channel 103

Digital television

Since 17 November 2010, Fremont Point broadcasts digital television only, replacing the old analogue services. Only 3 of the 6 digital multiplexes are available from this transmitter.

Frequency UHF kW Operator System
634.000 MHz 41 3.2 Digital 3&4 DVB-T
658.000 MHz 44 3.2 BBC A DVB-T
682.000 MHz 47 3.2 BBC B DVB-T2

Analogue television

Analogue television was broadcast from the transmitter from September 1962 until 01:30 GMT on 17 November 2010.

Frequency UHF kW Service
631.25 MHz 41 20 Channel
655.25 MHz 44 20 BBC2
679.25 MHz 47 20 Channel 4
711.25 MHz 51 20 BBC1 Channel islands

Relays

Digital television

Fremont Point transmitting station is located in Channel Islands
Fremont Point transmitting station
Fremont Point transmitting station
Fremont Point transmitting station
Fremont Point transmitting station
Fremont Point transmitting station
Fremont Point transmitting station
Fremont Point transmitting station
Fremont Point transmitting station
Fremont Point (blue) and its relays (green).
Transmitter kW BBCA BBCB D3&4 Pol. A.G.
Alderney 0.2 49 55 60 V C/D
Gorey 0.01 59 48 52 V W
Les Touillets 1.5 54 51 56 H C/D
St Brelades Bay 0.015 59 48 52 V C/D
St Helier 0.04 52 48 59 V C/D
St Peter Port 0.01 24 21 27 V A
Torteval 0.02 59 48 50 V E

References

  1. ↑ "What is a transmitter and a relay?". www.freeview.co.uk.
  2. ↑ "Old Tower". Archived from the original on 6 September 2009. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
  3. ↑ "Jersey Wavelength: History".
  4. ↑ "Colour Television". Historical Television Website. Archived from the original on 28 October 2016.
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