Waltham transmitting station


The Waltham transmitting station is a broadcasting and telecommunications facility
at Waltham-on-the-Wolds, 5 miles north-east of Melton Mowbray. It sits inside the Waltham civil parish near Stonesby, in the district of Melton, Leicestershire, UK. It has a guyed steel tubular mast. The main structure height to the top of the steelwork is 290.8 metres, with the UHF television antennas contained within a GRP shroud mounted on top.

Construction

First structure

The first mast was built in 1966. On 16 November 1966, it collapsed. Parts of the wreckage are still in use as pig shelters. It had been built by the British Insulated Cables Construction Company. It was to have begun broadcasts in the summer of 1967.

Second structure

The structure was rebuilt in 1968 by the BBC. This delayed its first transmissions until 31 August 1968 of BBC2 only. It broadcast ITV from February 1970 and BBC1 from August 1970. On 9 April 1970, the whole region lost the signal when an excavator damaged the station's main cable. The mast was one of three similar types built at the same time by the BBC, with Mendip and Bilsdale.
It is a shorter version of the second Emley Moor transmitter which collapsed whilst broadcasting on 19 March 1969, due to the weight of ice on the structural cables. The Waltham mast has four sets of stay levels as opposed to the six of the former Emley mast. The latter was identical to the current 385m high Belmont mast, both built by the ITA.
It is east of the A607 between Grantham and Melton Mowbray.

Coverage

The mast was originally built to provide BBC2 to the East Midlands. It became the main mast for ITV's Central East Midlands from 1982 and BBC East Midlands from 1991. Previously it had carried broadcasts from Birmingham.
It is now the main TV transmitter for all digital terrestrial channels covering the East Midlands, predominantly including most of Leicestershire, Rutland, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. It can also be received in parts of Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Huntingdonshire, Northamptonshire, Warwickshire, Staffordshire, Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. It is owned and operated by Arqiva.

Digital TV

Waltham first broadcast digital TV on 15 November 1998. In July 2007 was confirmed by Ofcom that at DSO Waltham would be transmitting five - of the six - MUXes within its original C/D group. For reception of all 6 MUXES a wideband is required.
When Waltham undertakes its 700MHz clearance, between February and March 2020, it will become an A group - excluding MUXES 7 and 8 which are due to be switched off before the end of 2022 anyway.

Relay stations

The two most powerful relays are at Nottingham and at Stanton Moor.
The area immediately to the north west of the latter transmitter is between the Winter Hill, Emley Moor, Sutton Coldfield, and Waltham broadcasting regions and this is why just north-west of Bakewell, the filler transmitters are BBC North West. Stanton Moor transmitter feeds the Darley Dale site, which was Britain's 1000th television relay station.

Transmitted services

Analogue radio

Digital radio (DAB)

Digital television

On 4 March 2020, the following channels came into use as a result of the 700MHz clearance programme.
FrequencyUHFkWOperatorSystem
2925COM4 DVB-T
3125COM6 DVB-T
3250PSB1 DVB-T
3450PSB2 DVB-T
3550PSB3 DVB-T2
3725COM5 DVB-T
412LTVmuxDVB-T
5511.8COM7 DVB-T2

Before 700MHz clearance

Prior to 4 March 2020, the following channels were used.
FrequencyUHFkWOperatorSystem
2925COM4 DVB-T
3110.2COM7 DVB-T2
3725COM5 DVB-T
4950PSB1 DVB-T
54-50PSB2 DVB-T
561.4COM8 DVB-T2
5725COM6 DVB-T
5850PSB3 DVB-T2

Before switchover

Analogue television

Analogue television is no longer transmitted from Waltham. BBC Two closed on UHF 64 on 17 August 2011. ITV1 was moved into its frequency at the time and the BBC A multiplex began transmitting on UHF 61. The remaining four analogue channels were switched off on 31 August.
FrequencyUHFkWService
35250Channel 5
54250Channel 4
58250BBC One
61250ITV/Central Television
64250BBC Two

Relay stations