Bluebell Hill

The Bluebell Hill transmitting station is a broadcasting and telecommunications facility on Blue Bell Hill, between Maidstone and Rochester in the English county of Kent. The station stands on the crest of the North Downs and comprises five steel lattice towers, each 45 to 50 metres tall – their height being limited by the presence nearby of 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. Four of the towers are used for broadcast services, with the fifth used for general communications. Between its opening in 1974 and 31 December 1981, the transmitter site broadcast Thames Television on weekdays and London Weekend Television at weekends. From 1 January 1982 it carried signals from the new ITV franchise TVS (Television South), until superseded on 1 January 1993 by ITV Meridian (East) for ITV in the south east. This transmitter has four relays: Chatham Town, Farleigh, Gillingham Testing Centre and Sittingbourne. Bluebell Hill was originally an E group for analogue, then became a B group at digital switchover. After 700 MHz clearance in July 2018 it became a K group (excluding the temporary MUXES 7 and 8). Most E group and B group aerials, as well as widebands and K groups, will work satisfactorily with Bluebell Hill. Northern parts of Kent – such as Dartford, Swanley, Westerham, Gravesend, and most of Sevenoaks – cannot get television signals from the Bluebell Hill transmitter but instead receive from the Crystal Palace transmitter. FM broadcasting started from Bluebell Hill on 1 October 1984 when Invicta Sound (now Heart) launched. KMFM…