Kirk o'Shotts transmitting station
Encyclopedia
The Kirk o'Shotts transmitting station is a broadcasting
and telecommunication
s site at The Hirst which lies just outside the village of Salsburgh
which is near the town of Shotts
in North Lanarkshire
central Scotland
. (Kirk o'Shotts means 'Church of Shotts' and takes its name from nearby Kirk O' Shott's Parish Church and Kirk O' Shotts' Primary School both located as you enter the nearby village of Salsburgh
.)
The BBC
405-line
television
service started from Kirk o'Shotts on 14 March 1952 using low power reserve transmitters (Marconi
). Full service began on 17 August 1952 using the main high power transmitters (Vision EMI
Type 5704, Sound STC
Type CTS-12). The station provided a service to a potential 4.1 million viewers and operated on Channel 3 (Vision 56.75 MHz, Sound 53.25 MHz) and transmissions were Vertically Polarised.
It subsequently became the main national FM
transmitting station for the area, although that role is now filled by the nearby site at Black Hill.
Three DAB multiplexes are broadcast from the site: BBC (12B), Digital One (12A) and Switch Scotland (11D).
It has a 183 metre (600 foot) tall guyed mast
, built in 1952. The mast was originally 228.6 metres (750 foot) tall.
The station is owned by Arqiva
.
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 telecommunication
Telecommunication
Telecommunication is the transmission of information over significant distances to communicate. In earlier times, telecommunications involved the use of visual signals, such as beacons, smoke signals, semaphore telegraphs, signal flags, and optical heliographs, or audio messages via coded...
s site at The Hirst which lies just outside the village of Salsburgh
Salsburgh
Salsburgh is a small semi rural former coal mining village in the heart of greenbelt surrounded by farmland in the district of North Lanarkshire, Scotland, the closest major town to the village is Shotts 3 miles to the South East and Airdrie, North Lanarkshire 6 miles to the North West...
which is near the town of Shotts
Shotts
Shotts is a small rural town in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is located almost halfway between Glasgow and Edinburgh . As of the 2001 census, the population was 8,235...
in North Lanarkshire
North Lanarkshire
North Lanarkshire is one of 32 council areas in Scotland. It borders onto the northeast of the City of Glasgow and contains much of Glasgow's suburbs and commuter towns and villages. It also borders Stirling, Falkirk, East Dunbartonshire, West Lothian and South Lanarkshire...
central 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...
. (Kirk o'Shotts means 'Church of Shotts' and takes its name from nearby Kirk O' Shott's Parish Church and Kirk O' Shotts' Primary School both located as you enter the nearby village of Salsburgh
Salsburgh
Salsburgh is a small semi rural former coal mining village in the heart of greenbelt surrounded by farmland in the district of North Lanarkshire, Scotland, the closest major town to the village is Shotts 3 miles to the South East and Airdrie, North Lanarkshire 6 miles to the North West...
.)
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...
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....
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
service started from Kirk o'Shotts on 14 March 1952 using low power reserve transmitters (Marconi
Marconi Company
The Marconi Company Ltd. was founded by Guglielmo Marconi in 1897 as The Wireless Telegraph & Signal Company...
). Full service began on 17 August 1952 using the main high power transmitters (Vision EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
Type 5704, Sound STC
STC
- Education :* S. Thomas' College, Mt Lavinia, a private school in Sri Lanka* South Texas College* South Thames College* Sha Tin College, Hong Kong* Saint Theresa's College, Philippines- Organizations :* Scarborough Town Centre* Space Transport Corporation...
Type CTS-12). The station provided a service to a potential 4.1 million viewers and operated on Channel 3 (Vision 56.75 MHz, Sound 53.25 MHz) and transmissions were Vertically Polarised.
It subsequently became the main national 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"...
transmitting station for the area, although that role is now filled by the nearby site at Black Hill.
Three DAB multiplexes are broadcast from the site: BBC (12B), Digital One (12A) and Switch Scotland (11D).
It has a 183 metre (600 foot) tall guyed mast
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...
, built in 1952. The mast was originally 228.6 metres (750 foot) tall.
The station is owned by 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...
.
Digital radio
| Frequency | Block | kW | Operator |
|---|---|---|---|
| 222.064 MHz | 11D | 1.88 | Switch Scotland Switch Scotland Switch Scotland is a DAB digital radio multiplex broadcasting across Scotland's Central Belt, with its coverage area encompassing major population centres such as Edinburgh and Glasgow and the surrounding area... |
| 223.936 MHz | 12A | 4.6 | 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 | 10 | BBC National DAB |
Further reading
- Pawley, Edward, BBC Engineering 1922-1972, BBC Publications 1972, ISBN 0-563-12127-0
External links
- Kirk o'Shotts photo gallery at the-moores.co.uk
- Kirk o'Shotts mast and towers
- http://www.thebigtower.com/live/KOS/Index.htm