Craigkelly TV Tower
Encyclopedia
The Craigkelly transmitting station is a broadcasting
and telecommunications facility located at Craigkelly north of the Firth of Forth
above the town of Burntisland
in Fife
, Scotland
. It has a 125-metre tall free-standing lattice tower.
The station came into service in September 1971 to bring colour TV services to Edinburgh, Fife and the Lothians. Nowadays its tower also carries antennas for many broadcasting and private radio organisations. This structure was previously used at Emley Moor
.
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 didn't return to its original group at DSO. In fact after the switchover even less of its Digital output is receivable on an A group aerial than before. The three PSB multiplexes are still receivable on an A group as this graph shows.
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.
Broadcasting
Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...
and telecommunications facility located at Craigkelly north of the Firth of Forth
Firth of Forth
The Firth of Forth is the estuary or firth of Scotland's River Forth, where it flows into the North Sea, between Fife to the north, and West Lothian, the City of Edinburgh and East Lothian to the south...
above the town of Burntisland
Burntisland
Burntisland is a town and former royal burgh in Fife, Scotland on the Firth of Forth. According to an estimate taken in 2008, the town has a population of 5,940....
in Fife
Fife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. It has a 125-metre tall free-standing lattice tower.
The station came into service in September 1971 to bring colour TV services to Edinburgh, Fife and the Lothians. Nowadays its tower also carries antennas for many broadcasting and private radio organisations. This structure was previously used at Emley Moor
Emley Moor transmitting station
The Emley Moor transmitting station is a telecommunications and broadcasting facility on 'Emley Moor' to the west of the village of Emley, in Kirklees, West Yorkshire, England . The station's most visible feature is its concrete tower, which is a Grade II listed building...
.
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 didn't return to its original group at DSO. In fact after the switchover even less of its Digital output is receivable on an A group aerial than before. The three PSB multiplexes are still receivable on an A group as this graph shows.
The tower can be clearly seen from many parts of Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
across the Firth of Forth on its prominent position atop the hill known as The Binn.
Analogue television
Analogue television transmissions ceased from Craigkelly on 15 June 2011.| Frequency | UHF | kW | Service |
|---|---|---|---|
| 471.25 MHz | 21 | 100 | Channel 4 Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel... |
| 495.25 MHz | 24 | 100 | STV |
| 519.25 MHz | 27 | 100 | BBC Two Scotland |
| 551.25 MHz | 31 | 100 | BBC One Scotland |
| 687.25 MHz | 48 | 4 | Channel 5 Channel 5 -In the Americas:*Channel 5 – Rosario, Argentine television station, founded in 1964, which broadcasts from the city of Rosario*Great Belize Television, Belize television station, known as "Channel 5", founded in 1991 and broadcasting from Belize City... |
Digital television
| Frequency | UHF | kW | Operator |
|---|---|---|---|
| 474.2 MHz | 21+ | 20 | BBC BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff... B |
| 498.0 MHz | 24 | 20 | Digital 3&4 Digital 3&4 Digital 3&4 is a consortium consisting of regional Channel 3 companies and Channel 4 Television Corporation, which operates a multiplex broadcasting from a number of transmitter sites in the UK, carrying television and radio channels from both ITV and Channel 4; however three per-cent of the... |
| 522.0 MHz | 27 | 20 | BBC A |
| 618.2 MHz | 39+ | 10 | Arqiva Arqiva Arqiva is a telecommunications company which provides infrastructure and broadcast transmission facilities in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. The present company, with headquarters located at Crawley Court in the village of Crawley, Hampshire, was formed by National Grid Wireless... B |
| 642.0 MHz | 42 | 10 | SDN S4C Digital Networks SDN is a company that operates Multiplex A, one of the six groups of channels on digital terrestrial television in the United Kingdom... |
| 666.0 MHz | 45 | 10 | Arqiva A |
Before switchover
| Frequency | UHF | kW | Operator |
|---|---|---|---|
| 489.8 MHz | 23- | 4 | SDN S4C Digital Networks SDN is a company that operates Multiplex A, one of the six groups of channels on digital terrestrial television in the United Kingdom... (Mux A) |
| 513.8 MHz | 26- | 4 | BBC BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff... (Mux B) |
| 538.0 MHz | 29 | 4 | Digital 3&4 Digital 3&4 Digital 3&4 is a consortium consisting of regional Channel 3 companies and Channel 4 Television Corporation, which operates a multiplex broadcasting from a number of transmitter sites in the UK, carrying television and radio channels from both ITV and Channel 4; however three per-cent of the... (Mux 2) |
| 570.0 MHz | 33 | 4 | BBC (Mux 1) |
| 618.0 MHz | 39 | 2 | Arqiva Arqiva Arqiva is a telecommunications company which provides infrastructure and broadcast transmission facilities in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. The present company, with headquarters located at Crawley Court in the village of Crawley, Hampshire, was formed by National Grid Wireless... (Mux D) |
| 642.0 MHz | 42 | 2 | Arqiva (Mux C) |
Analogue radio
| Frequency | kW | Service |
|---|---|---|
| 97.3 MHz | 9.8 | Forth One |
| 101.0 MHz | 10 | Real Radio Real Radio (Scotland) Real Radio Scotland is an Independent Local Radio station in Central and Southern Scotland, owned and operated by GMG Radio. The station broadcasts from studios at Ballieston in the east end of the Glasgow on 100.3 & 101.1FM and on DAB.- Background :... |
| 104.1 MHz | 5 | BBC Radio nan Gaidheal BBC Radio nan Gàidheal BBC Radio nan Gàidheal is a British radio station, broadcasting in Scottish Gaelic. It is operated by the BBC as part of its portfolio of television and radio services broadcasting to Scotland.... |
| 105.7 MHz | 10 | Absolute radio / Absolute classic rock |
Digital radio
| Frequency | Block | kW | Operator |
|---|---|---|---|
| 227.060 MHz | 12C | 0.78 | Bauer Scotland |
| 223.936 MHz | 12A | 6.8 | Digital One Digital One Digital One is a national commercial digital radio multiplex in the United Kingdom, owned by Arqiva. , the multiplex covers more than 90% of the populationfrom a total of 137 transmitters... |
| 225.648 MHz | 12B | 5 | BBC National DAB |
| 229.072 MHz | 12D | 1 | Bauer Edinburgh |