Hannington transmitting station

Hannington

Transmission Mast, Cottington Hill
Mast height	151.9 metres (498 ft)
Coordinates	51°18′29″N 1°14′42″W / 51.308°N 1.245°W / 51.308; -1.245Coordinates: 51°18′29″N 1°14′42″W / 51.308°N 1.245°W / 51.308; -1.245
Built	1970
BBC region	BBC South
ITV region	ITV Meridian

Hannington transmitting station is a television and radio transmitting station located on Cottington Hill near the village of Hannington. The transmitter is actually in the parish of Kingsclere. The station provides broadcast services to Berkshire and north Hampshire, and includes a 131.4 metres (431 ft) guyed steel lattice mast. Surmounting the mast is a GRP aerial cylinder, which contains the UHF television transmitting antennas, which brings the overall height of the mast to 151.9 metres (498 ft).

Hannington's digital broadcasts were severely attenuated to the East before DSO (Digital Switch-Over) so as not to cause co-channel interference with Guildford transmitter. Those restrictions were removed soon after DSO in 2012. see picture.

On Saturday 26 November 1977 at around 5.10 pm, the Southern ITV broadcast from this transmitter had its UHF sound transmission hi-jacked by unknown agents. At that time Hannington re-broadcast off-air UHF transmissions from Rowridge on the Isle-of-Wight. The UHF audio signal from Rowridge was swamped by a signal presumably from a location much closer to the Hannington transmitter, overriding the sound of the local ITV station Southern Television and broadcast their own audio message purporting to be from Vrillon, an alien from an institution calling itself the Ashtar Galactic Command. The message, transmitted over an ITN News bulletin and a subsequent Merrie Melodies cartoon, lasted six minutes.

Despite extensive investigations by Hampshire Police, the Independent Broadcasting Authority and Southern Television, those responsible have never been identified, and the potential culprits have ranged from students to university professors to disgruntled television technicians.

Services available

Analogue radio

Digital radio

Digital television Frequency UHF kW Operator System 618.000 MHz 39 50 BBC B DVB-T2 634.166 MHz 41+ 25 SDN DVB-T 642.166 MHz 42+ 50 Digital 3&4 DVB-T 658.000 MHz 44 25 Arqiva A DVB-T 666.000 MHz 45 50 BBC A DVB-T 682.000 MHz 47 25 Arqiva B DVB-T Before switchover Frequency UHF kW Operator 626.166 MHz 40+ 20 SDN (Mux A) 634.166 MHz 41+ 10 Arqiva (Mux D) 650.166 MHz 43+ 20 Digital 3&4 (Mux 2) 658.166 MHz 44+ 10 Arqiva (Mux C) 674.166 MHz 46+ 20 BBC (Mux B) 706.000 MHz 50 20 BBC (Mux 1) 652.00/34/200 Analogue television Analogue television transmissions ceased from Hannington during February 2012; BBC Two analogue closed on UHF 45 on 8 February 2012 and all other analogue services closed on 22 February 2012. Frequency UHF kW Service 583.25 MHz 35 60 Channel 5 615.25 MHz 39 250 BBC One 639.25 MHz 42 250 ITV1 663.25 MHz 45 250 BBC Two 831.25 MHz 66 250 Channel 4 Aerial group: E Polarisation: horizontal See also Southern Television broadcast interruption hoax (1977) Hannington Transmitter at thebigtower.com References ↑ Radio Listeners Guide 2010 Television transmitter and major relay sites in the United Kingdom England East Mendlesham Sandy Heath Sudbury Tacolneston East Midlands Belmont Chesterfield Waltham Greater London Alexandra Palace Croydon Crystal Palace North East Berwick-upon-Tweed Burnhope Chatton Pontop Pike North West Caldbeck Sandale Storeton West Kirby Winter Hill South East Bluebell Hill Chillerton Down Dover Fremont Point (Channel Islands) Hannington Heathfield Membury Midhurst Oxford Rowridge Whitehawk Hill South West Beacon Hill Caradon Hill Huntshaw Cross Mendip North Hessary Tor Redruth Stockland Hill Washford West Midlands Lichfield Ridge Hill Sutton Coldfield The Wrekin Yorkshire and the Humber Bilsdale Emley Moor Halifax Holme Moss Oliver's Mount Sheffield Scotland Angus Balgownie Black Hill Bonchester Bridge Bressay Craigkelly Darvel Durris Eitshal Eyemouth Galashiels Hawick Jedburgh Keelylang Hill Kirk o'Shotts Knock More Meldrum Mounteagle Rosemarkie Rumster Forest Selkirk Skriaig Tay Bridge Yetholm Wales Arfon Blaenplwyf Carmel Ferryside Flint Haverfordwest Kilvey Hill Llanddona Moel-y-Parc Preseli St Hilary Storeton Wenvoe Wrexham-Rhos Northern Ireland Black Mountain Brougher Mountain Divis Limavady Londonderry Strabane Italics denotes a transmitter no longer used for transmitting television signals