Crystal Palace Transmitter
Encyclopedia
The Crystal Palace transmitting station is a broadcasting
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 site in the Crystal Palace area
Crystal Palace, London
Crystal Palace is a residential area in south London, England named from the former local landmark, The Crystal Palace, which occupied the area from 1854 to 1936. The area is located approximately 8 miles south east of Charing Cross, and offers impressive views over the capital...

 of the London Borough of Bromley
London Borough of Bromley
The London Borough of Bromley is a London borough of south east London, England and forms part of Outer London. The principal town in the borough is Bromley.-Geography:...

, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 .

Its tower is the third-tallest structure in London. The station is best known as the main television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...

 transmitter for the London area.

History and development

The station was constructed in the mid-1950s among the ruins of the Crystal Palace
The Crystal Palace
The Crystal Palace was a cast-iron and glass building originally erected in Hyde Park, London, England, to house the Great Exhibition of 1851. More than 14,000 exhibitors from around the world gathered in the Palace's of exhibition space to display examples of the latest technology developed in...

. The Aquarium
Aquarium
An aquarium is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants...

 on which it is mostly built was partially destroyed in 1941 during the demolition of the Palace's north water tower. (John Logie Baird
John Logie Baird
John Logie Baird FRSE was a Scottish engineer and inventor of the world's first practical, publicly demonstrated television system, and also the world's first fully electronic colour television tube...

's earlier transmitter and TV studios were a separate development at the other end of the Palace and perished with it in 1936.)

Its new 219 metres (719 ft) tower was the tallest structure in London until the construction of One Canada Square
One Canada Square
One Canada Square is a skyscraper in Canary Wharf in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is the tallest completed building in the United Kingdom since 1991, standing at above ground level and containing 50 storeys...

 at Canary Wharf
Canary Wharf
Canary Wharf is a major business district located in London, United Kingdom. It is one of London's two main financial centres, alongside the traditional City of London, and contains many of the UK's tallest buildings, including the second-tallest , One Canada Square...

 in 1991. Despite its size, it has been largely overlooked as a London landmark due to its location and simplicity. It has been nicknamed London's Eiffel Tower
Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower is a puddle iron lattice tower located on the Champ de Mars in Paris. Built in 1889, it has become both a global icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world...

.

The first transmission from Crystal Palace took place on 28 March 1956, when it succeeded the transmitter at Alexandra Palace where the BBC had started the world's first scheduled television service in September, 1936. In November 1956 the first colour test transmissions began from Crystal Palace relaying live pictures from the studios at Alexandra Palace after BBC TV had closed down for the night. In May 1958 the first experimental Band V 625 line transmissions started from Crystal Palace.

When first constructed it only transmitted BBC Television on the old VHF 405-line
405-line
The 405-line monochrome analogue television broadcasting system was the first fully electronic television system to be used in regular broadcasting....

 system. The Croydon transmitter
Croydon Transmitter
The Croydon transmitting station is a broadcasting and telecommunications facility located on Beulah Hill in Upper Norwood, London, England , in the London Borough of Croydon, owned by Arqiva. It was founded in 1955 and initially used a small lattice tower...

 was then built to broadcast ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...

. When UHF
Ultra high frequency
Ultra-High Frequency designates the ITU Radio frequency range of electromagnetic waves between 300 MHz and 3 GHz , also known as the decimetre band or decimetre wave as the wavelengths range from one to ten decimetres...

 transmissions started in 1964 first the new BBC2 and later both ITV and BBC1 were then transmitted from Crystal Palace. However, even now Crystal Palace does not transmit analogue Channel 5, this (alone) comes from Croydon about two miles away (although Croydon does have reserve transmitters for ITV and Channel 4, which are only used in the event of a fault or maintenance at Crystal Palace). A couple of years ago the BBC decided that a complete reserve was also a good idea and now all four services are available from Croydon if required. When UK Digital Switch Over is completed in the London area in 2012 all services will come from Crystal Palace again, but because of the site's importance Croydon will be able to be used to duplicate the PSB multiplexes in case of emergency. 405-line VHF television was discontinued in 1985, and now the only television broadcasts from Crystal Palace are on UHF.

The station carries the London regions of BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...

, BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...

, ITV1
ITV1
ITV1 is a generic brand that is used by twelve franchises of the British ITV Network in the English regions, Wales, southern Scotland , the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their...

 and 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...

 in analogue, each with an effective radiated power
Effective radiated power
In radio telecommunications, effective radiated power or equivalent radiated power is a standardized theoretical measurement of radio frequency energy using the SI unit watts, and is determined by subtracting system losses and adding system gains...

 of 1 MW, as well as all six digital terrestrial television
Digital terrestrial television
Digital terrestrial television is the technological evolution of broadcast television and advance from analog television, which broadcasts land-based signals...

 multiplexes
Multiplex (TV)
A multiplex or mux is a group of TV channels that are mixed together for broadcast over a digital TV channel and separated out again by the receiver...

. These have an ERP of 20 kW, with considerable beam tilt
Beam tilt
Beam tilt is used in radio to aim the main lobe of the vertical plane radiation pattern of an antenna below the horizontal plane.The simplest way is mechanical beam tilt, where the antenna is physically mounted in such a manner as to lower the angle of the signal on one side...

 to the south and east. Although DTT
Digital terrestrial television
Digital terrestrial television is the technological evolution of broadcast television and advance from analog television, which broadcasts land-based signals...

 requires far less power to achieve the same coverage as analogue TV, this 17 dB
Decibel
The decibel is a logarithmic unit that indicates the ratio of a physical quantity relative to a specified or implied reference level. A ratio in decibels is ten times the logarithm to base 10 of the ratio of two power quantities...

 difference is too large to ensure comparable coverage. The station therefore has a range of about 30 miles (50 km) for DTT, compared with about 60 miles (90 km) for analogue.

The tower is also used for FM
FM broadcasting
FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...

 radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...

 transmission of several local radio stations BBC London 94.9
BBC London 94.9
BBC London 94.9 is London's BBC Local Radio station, and part of BBC London. Broadcasting across Greater London and beyond on 94.9 FM, DAB, Virgin Media Channel 930, Sky Channel 0152 and also online...

, XFM
Xfm London
Xfm London is a commercial radio station in the United Kingdom owned by Global Radio and broadcasts on 104.9 FM in London, on digital radio via 30 DAB multiplexes across the country, Sky, TalkTalk TV and Virgin Media....

, Choice FM
Choice FM
Choice FM, branded on-air as London's Choice, is a brand used by the UK's biggest radio company, Global Radio for its network of black music radio stations...

 and Absolute Radio, as well as a low powered relay of the 4 BBC national FM services and Classic FM
Classic FM (UK)
Classic FM, one of the United Kingdom's three Independent National Radio stations, broadcasts classical music in a popular and accessible style.-Overview:...

. It also has mediumwave
Mediumwave
Medium wave is the part of the medium frequency radio band used mainly for AM radio broadcasting. For Europe the MW band ranges from 526.5 kHz to 1606.5 kHz...

 transmitters on 558 kHz (Spectrum Radio
Spectrum Radio
Spectrum Radio is the United Kingdom’s only Multiethnic Commercial Radio station, with programmes from 24 ethnic groups. It is based in the Battersea district of London...

), 720 kHz (BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...

) and 1035 kHz (Kismat Radio
Kismat Radio
Kismat Radio is a radio station broadcasting from the Crystal Palace Transmitter in south-east London.- Background :The target audience is British Asians and South Asian expats aged 30+, with programme formats comprising Asian Talk and music....

). Since the tower is grounded, a wire aerial spun close to it is used for the MW
Mediumwave
Medium wave is the part of the medium frequency radio band used mainly for AM radio broadcasting. For Europe the MW band ranges from 526.5 kHz to 1606.5 kHz...

 services.

Since 1995, the tower has also been in use as one of five London transmitters for the 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...

 DAB
Digital audio broadcasting
Digital Audio Broadcasting is a digital radio technology for broadcasting radio stations, used in several countries, particularly in Europe. As of 2006, approximately 1,000 stations worldwide broadcast in the DAB format....

 multiplex
Multiplexing
The multiplexed signal is transmitted over a communication channel, which may be a physical transmission medium. The multiplexing divides the capacity of the low-level communication channel into several higher-level logical channels, one for each message signal or data stream to be transferred...

. This was joined in 1999 by the 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...

 DAB service, and a further local DAB multiplex has also since started transmitting.

In May 2006, Crystal Palace began broadcasting the first terrestrial HDTV
High-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...

 signals in the UK. This was to enable a trial group of 450 London homes to test HD broadcasts by the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Five, in order to assess the viability and potential problems of future nationwide HD broadcasting. On 2 December 2009, the site entered service as one of the first DVB-T2
DVB-T2
DVB-T2 is an abbreviation for Digital Video Broadcasting – Second Generation Terrestrial; it is the extension of the television standard DVB-T, issued by the consortium DVB, devised for the broadcast transmission of digital terrestrial television....

 transmitters in the world, carrying a variant of the BBC's Multiplex B broadcasting high-definition TV services.

Future developments

The UK Government's plans for digital switchover are based on the use of almost all of the UK's current analogue TV transmitter sites. As such, Crystal Palace is expected to remain a key part of the network when the London area is switched over in 2012. In July 2007 it was confirmed by Ofcom that Crystal Palace would be remaining an A group transmitter after DSO (Digital Switchover).

Analogue radio (AM
Amplitude modulation
Amplitude modulation is a technique used in electronic communication, most commonly for transmitting information via a radio carrier wave. AM works by varying the strength of the transmitted signal in relation to the information being sent...

 medium wave)

Frequency kW Service
558 kHz 1 Spectrum
Spectrum Radio
Spectrum Radio is the United Kingdom’s only Multiethnic Commercial Radio station, with programmes from 24 ethnic groups. It is based in the Battersea district of London...

720 kHz 0.75 BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...

1035 kHz 2.5 Kismat Radio
Kismat Radio
Kismat Radio is a radio station broadcasting from the Crystal Palace Transmitter in south-east London.- Background :The target audience is British Asians and South Asian expats aged 30+, with programme formats comprising Asian Talk and music....



These frequencies were used by Lots Road
Lots Road Power Station
Lots Road Power Station is a disused coal and later oil-fired power station on the River Thames at Lots Road in Chelsea, London in the south-west of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, which supplied electricity to the London Underground system...

 until Tuesday 25 September 2007.

Analogue radio (FM
Frequency modulation
In telecommunications and signal processing, frequency modulation conveys information over a carrier wave by varying its instantaneous frequency. This contrasts with amplitude modulation, in which the amplitude of the carrier is varied while its frequency remains constant...

 VHF)

Frequency kW Service
88.8 MHz 4† BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...

91.0 MHz 4† BBC Radio 3
BBC Radio 3
BBC Radio 3 is a national radio station operated by the BBC within the United Kingdom. Its output centres on classical music and opera, but jazz, world music, drama, culture and the arts also feature. The station is the world’s most significant commissioner of new music, and its New Generation...

93.2 MHz 4† BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...

94.9 MHz 4 BBC London
BBC London 94.9
BBC London 94.9 is London's BBC Local Radio station, and part of BBC London. Broadcasting across Greater London and beyond on 94.9 FM, DAB, Virgin Media Channel 930, Sky Channel 0152 and also online...

96.9 MHz 0.03 Choice FM
Choice FM
Choice FM, branded on-air as London's Choice, is a brand used by the UK's biggest radio company, Global Radio for its network of black music radio stations...

98.5 MHz 4† BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...

100.6 MHz 2 (V)† Classic FM
Classic FM (UK)
Classic FM, one of the United Kingdom's three Independent National Radio stations, broadcasts classical music in a popular and accessible style.-Overview:...

104.9 MHz 2.9 XFM
Xfm London
Xfm London is a commercial radio station in the United Kingdom owned by Global Radio and broadcasts on 104.9 FM in London, on digital radio via 30 DAB multiplexes across the country, Sky, TalkTalk TV and Virgin Media....

105.8 MHz 3.73 Absolute Radio


† Relay of Wrotham.

Digital radio (DAB
Digital audio broadcasting
Digital Audio Broadcasting is a digital radio technology for broadcasting radio stations, used in several countries, particularly in Europe. As of 2006, approximately 1,000 stations worldwide broadcast in the DAB format....

)

Frequency Block kW Operator
222.064 MHz 11D 6.5 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...

223.936 MHz 12A 2.1 Switch London
Switch London
Switch London is a DAB ensemble operated by Switch Digital; it broadcasts from a variety of sites in and around London Switch London is a DAB ensemble operated by Switch Digital; it broadcasts from a variety of sites in and around London Switch London is a DAB ensemble operated by Switch Digital;...

225.648 MHz 12B 10 BBC National DAB

Analogue television

Frequency UHF kW Service
487.25 MHz 23 1000 ITV1
ITV1
ITV1 is a generic brand that is used by twelve franchises of the British ITV Network in the English regions, Wales, southern Scotland , the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their...

511.25 MHz 26 1000 BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...

543.25 MHz 30 1000 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...

567.25 MHz 33 1000 BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...



BBC Two will shut down on 4 April 2012 and all other services on 18 April 2012.

Digital television

Frequency UHF kW Operator
481.8 MHz 22- 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...

 (Mux 2)
505.8 MHz 25- 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...

 (Mux 1)
529.8 MHz 28- 20 BBC (Mux B)
537.8 MHz 29- 20 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)
554.0 MHz 31 10 BBC B (Mux HD)
561.8 MHz 32- 20 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)
578.2 MHz 34+ 20 Arqiva (Mux C)

After switchover

Frequency UHF kW Operator
482.0 MHz 22 200 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...

 A
490.0 MHz 23 200 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...

 A
506.0 MHz 25 200 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...

514.0 MHz 26 200 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...

530.0 MHz 28 200 Arqiva B
545.8 MHz 30- 200 BBC B

See also

  • 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...

     (which owns the tower)
  • List of radio stations in the United Kingdom
  • List of tallest buildings and structures in Great Britain
  • List of tallest towers in the world
  • Radio masts and towers
    Radio masts and towers
    Radio masts and towers are, typically, tall structures designed to support antennas for telecommunications and broadcasting, including television. They are among the tallest man-made structures...

  • Tall buildings in London

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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