The Wrekin transmitting station


The Wrekin transmitting station is a telecommunications and broadcasting facility on The Wrekin, a hill in the county of Shropshire, England. It includes a tall free-standing lattice tower with transmitting antennas attached at various heights. The DTT transmitting arrays add about another 10m to this. It broadcasts digital television, alongside digital and FM radio. The station was first proposed in 1966. As The Wrekin is a local beauty spot, many objections had to be overcome and alternative sites analysed before planning consent was given. The transmitter opened in 1975. The building is semi-underground and the tower stands on its roof.

Television

Like the neighbouring Granada transmitter, Winter Hill, The Wrekin serves a large part of North and Mid Wales, despite being the incorrect regional variation. The reason for this was because of the obvious carriage of Channel 5 at the same quality as channels 1-4, and also it carried the English Channel 4 as opposed to the Welsh equivalent, S4C. Since the digital switchover, The Wrekin carries the main six multiplexes though it has never carried MUXES 7 and 8. Partly because of that nothing alktered at all during The Wrekin's 700 MHz clearance in March 2018.

Digital

Before switchover

Unlike analogue television, The Wrekin had a sub-transmission site, also known as The Wrekin B, designed to serve the east of the region, to fill areas in which the main transmitter didn't broadcast into. This was necessary due to co-channel interference issues with Moel-y-Parc, on channels 42, 45 and 49. After digital switchover, the frequencies serving the east of the region were removed for compromise frequencies that has better reception in all areas of the region.
FrequencyUHFkWOperator
212BBC
24+2SDN
27+2BBC
312Digital 3&4
39+†2BBC
42†2SDN
45†2BBC
49†2Digital 3&4
531Arqiva
571Arqiva

† Transmitted from The Wrekin B.

Analogue

Analogue television was switched off during April 2011; BBC Two analogue was switched off on 6 April and the remaining four on 20 April.
FrequencyUHFkWService
23100ITV1
26100BBC One
29100Channel 4
33100BBC Two
35100Channel 5

Radio

Alongside television, the Wrekin broadcasts a number of local and national radio stations.

Analogue radio

Digital radio