The Wrekin transmitter - analogue switch-off

The Wrekin digital switchover schedule

Note: This is the only schedule for digital switchover. Digital services cannot be introduced before the dates listed for "testing purposes" as they will generally use the same transmission frequencies as the services they replace. Another alternative, available today, is Freesat.

The Wrekin Full Freeview transmitter details - full details of the Freeview services fron The Wrekin.

April 2011 S M T W T F S - - - - - 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 - - - - - - -

BBC One West Midlands, BBC Two England, ITV-1 Central West, five and Channel 4 analogue switched off. It will be necessary to perform a full rescan of your Freeview box on this day.

Transmission frequencies

Before Sunday 15th November 1998

C23	C26	C29	C33	C35
ITV1	BBC One	C4	BBC TWO	FIVE

Sunday 15th November 1998 to Wednesday 6th April 2011

C21	C23	C24+	C26	C27+	C29	C31	C33	C35	C53*	C57*
Mux 1	ITV1	Mux A	BBC One	Mux B	C4	Mux 2	BBC TWO	FIVE	Mux C	Mux D

After Wednesday 20th April 2011¶

C23	C26	C29	C30	C41*	C44*	C47*	C48*
Mux D3+4	Mux BBCA	Mux NEW8	Mux BBCB	Mux SDN	Mux ArqA	Mux ArqB	Mux NEW7

¶ NOTE: Bromsgrove, Lark Stoke and The Wrekin will operate as a single frequency network (SFN). NOTE: After the PSB multiplexes switch at The Wrekin, the Arqiva multiplexes will remain on their existing frequencies and powers and the SDN multiplex will use a temporary frequency for a short period before all three adopt their final frequencies and powers later in 2011. During this transition period the commercial multiplexes will use the following frequencies: SDN ch 31 and 39 (both 2kW), Arqiva A ch 53 (1kW), Arqiva B ch 57 (1kW).

Colour bands denote aerial groups: Red:A Yellow:B Green:C/D Brown:E Grey:K Black:Wideband

Notes

'Out of group' frequencies are marked with a star. Analogue power output 100,000 Watts, post switchover average digital multiplex output will be 11,250 Watts.

To receive signals from this transmitter, the aerial must be mounted for horizontal polarization - the elements going from left to right.

Before switchover, the public service broadcasting multiplexes were 1, 2 and B; afterwards they were first PSB1, 2 and 3 but now called BBCA, D3+4 and BBCB. The commercial multiplexes A, C and D had initial post-switchover names COM4, 5 and 6; now they are SDN, ArqA and ArqB. At switchover BBCA, ArqA and ArqB will switch from 16QAM to 64QAM mode transmission, so five multiplexes will transmit in the 64QAM (2/3) 8k mode. BBCB is used for Freeview HD (DVB-T2, 256QAM), and has a pre-switchover service on selected main transmitters.

Upgrade to Wideband aerial requried to watch all Freeview channels during dual running of analogue and digital television. After switchover, you will have needed to upgrade to a Wideband aerial to receive some or all digital television services.

Comparison of analogue and digital signal levels

Analogue 1-5
	100kW
BBCA, D3+4, BBCB
	20kW (-7dB)
SDN, ARQA, ARQB
	10kW (-10dB)
Mux1*, Mux2*, MuxA*, MuxB*
	2kW (-17dB)
MuxC*, MuxD*
	1000W (-20dB)
*-pre digital switchover (DSO). Decibel values compare to strongest signal value.

The aerial must be mounted horizontally, with the elements in the left-right position

See full list of analogue transmitters for a complete list of shutdown dates.

itv1 - The Wrekin transmitter area*

Date	Incumbent ITV company
17th Feb 1956 to July 1968	Associated TeleVision (weekdays only)
18th Feb 1956 to July 1968	Associated British Corporation (weekends)
July 1968 to 31st Dec 1981	Associated TeleVision
1st Jan 1982 to date	Central Independent Television
1st Feb 1983 to 31st Dec 1992	TV-am (breakfast)
1st Jan 1993 to date	GMTV (breakfast)
Note	For digital switchover this region is now known as Central West.

* The The Wrekin transmitter was not an original ITV VHF 405-line transmitter: the historical information shown above includes the details of the company reponsible for the The Wrekin transmitter when it began transmission.

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