Bluebell Hill transmitting station

51°19′26″N 0°31′14″E / 51.324°N 0.52054°E / 51.324; 0.52054Grid referenceTQ757613Built1974BBC regionBBC South EastITV regionITV Meridian (East)Local TV serviceKMTV Kent

The Bluebell Hill transmitting station is a broadcasting and telecommunications facility located at Blue Bell Hill between Maidstone and Rochester in the English county of Kent.

The station is situated on the crest of the North Downs and comprises five steel lattice towers, each 45 to 50 metres tall - their height being compromised by the location of nearby Rochester Airport. It broadcasts digital television, FM and DAB radio to much of north, west, and central Kent, and an overspill service into southern Essex. It stopped broadcasting analogue television when the digital switchover was completed on 27 June 2012. When in analogue service, the broadcast power of 30 kW for a main transmitter was unique in the United Kingdom, the strength being limited by potential interference with transmitters in France and the Low Countries.

Services broadcast include BBC One (South East), BBC Two, ITV1 (Meridian), Channel 4, Channel 5 and Heart Kent. Between its opening in 1974 and 31 December 1981 the transmitter broadcast Thames Television (weekdays) and London Weekend Television (weekends), being switched on 1 January 1982 to carry signals from the new ITV franchise TVS (Television South), until superseded on 1 January 1993 by ITV Meridian (East) for ITV in the south east. On occasion the local news is replaced with that from the ITV1 Meridian (South) region, or more rarely from ITV1 London, usually because of staff shortages at one studio or other or technical difficulties of some kind.

Bluebell Hill was originally an E group for analogue, then became a B group at DSO. At its 700 MHz clearance in July 2018 it became a K group (excluding the temporary MUXES 7 and 8). Most E groups and B groups, as well as widebands and K groups, will work satisfactorily on Bluebell Hill (see graph).

Services available

Analogue radio

Frequency	kW	Service
103.1 MHz	2	Heart South

Digital radio

Frequency	Block	kW	Operator
218.640 MHz	11B	0.9	DRG London
220.352 MHz	11C	2	NOW Kent
222.064 MHz	11D	6.3	Digital One
223.936 MHz	12A	2	Switch London
225.648 MHz	12B	6.3	BBC National DAB
227.360 MHz	12C	1	CE London

Analogue television

Analogue television transmissions have now ceased. BBC2 was closed on 13 June 2012 and the remaining three services on 27 June. Channel 5 was never broadcast from this transmitter.

Frequency	UHF	kW	Service
623.25 MHz	40	30	BBC1 South East
647.25 MHz	43	30	Meridian
671.25 MHz	46	30	BBC2 South East
823.25 MHz	65	30	Channel 4

References

External links

• The Transmission Gallery: Bluebell Hill
• Info and pictures of Bluebell Hill transmitter including historical power/frequency changes and co-receivable transmitters