TV transmission breakdowns.

[Trickyvee]

It rarely happens now, but my childhood memories are peppered with TV announcers sending apologies for the loss of picture/sound. In my region it was almost always attributed to 'bad weather' or 'a breakdown' at the Pontop Pike - home of the North East's main transmitter.

I always wondered where this mythical and strange sounding Pontop Pike was, imagining something akin to the surface of the moon with big aerials everywhere and apocalyptic lightning storms throwing the telly into disarray.

Well, today I went walking in the Derwent valley and saw it for the first time. A hill with a big aerial! I was quite excited, but had to keep it to myself . Quite poignant considering the analogue signal will be switched off for good this year. Not sure if the digital signal still comes from there.

[HG]

Re: TV transmission breakdowns.

Yes it was a familiar occurance during the 70s and 80s. Where I grew up we had a smaller transmitter on top of the hill so we could get better quality pictures in Durham city centre, I can remember it being built in the late 70s/early 80s. It now also hosts a vodafone mast.

[sf1378]

Re: TV transmission breakdowns.

They used to 'play some light musak' when it happened as well.

[Richard1978]

Re: TV transmission breakdowns.

I can't remember that many breakdowns after the mid 1990's.

[Sly]

Re: TV transmission breakdowns.

BBC used to be fine mainly. It was always the other channels that went down. Emley Moor usually got a power cut or whatever. Total black out sometimes. Other times we'd get the apology with some elevator music. Never ever happens now.