# Lichfield transmitting station

The Lichfield transmitting station is situated close to Tamworth in Staffordshire in the West Midlands between the A5 and A51. The nearest geographical feature is Hopwas Hill. The station is owned and operated by Arqiva. The mast is known locally as Hopwas mast or Hints mast.

## History

The station was the main 405-line ITV transmitter for the Midlands from 1956 to 1985. It has a 305.2 metres (1,001 ft) tall guyed mast.
The site was announced by the ITA in March 1955, to be 700 ft on Gentleshaw Hill, and to start broadcasting in December 1955. Lichfield Rural Council discussed the planning proposal. ITV itself would open in September 1955.
It would be built near Hints, Staffordshire, and be 445 ft. Planning permission was given in May 1955. In July 1955 a barrage balloon was flown at 500 ft.
It would serve 6m viewers, with test transmissions planned for October 1955. Construction had begun by August 1955. Test transmissions would begin on 10 October 1955. It was on Beulah Hill. It was planned to start on 17 February 1956, with test transmissions from 1 February. It cost around £300,000.

### Opening

Broadcasting began at 6.45pm. It began at 50kW, to be increased to 200kW.
The station came on air on 17 February 1956, using two 5 kW transmitters and a 16-stack antenna mounted on a 450 feet (137 m) tall Eiffelised tower (one that is tapered exponentially towards the top).

### Replacement tower

Work on a new mast began in early November 1960. The former tower was replaced by the tall mast which came into service on 18 July 1961. The 450 ft tower was dismantled in 1962 and shipped to Jersey, Channel Islands and re erected at Fremont Point on the north of the Island.

### Transmission

625-line colour transmitters for the region were all co-sited at the nearby Sutton Coldfield transmitting station until 1997, when Lichfield began broadcasting Channel 5 in the Midlands. At 1000 kW on C37 it was the most powerful Channel 5 transmitter in the country. Before the digital switchover, Lichfield effectively worked in conjunction with Sutton Coldfield (4 miles to the SW) to supply the full five analogue channels. Reception of Channel 5 from Lichfield was also receivable at viewable quality throughout the borders of North Wales.
All analogue TV transmissions ceased on 21 September 2011, as part of the digital switchover. A temporary HD multiplex BBC B (Mux HD) on C34 was moved to the Sutton Coldfield transmitting station on C40+ (626.2 MHz) thereby ceasing all analogue and digital television broadcasts from the Lichfield transmitter.

## Services listed by frequency
### Analogue radio (FM VHF)

| Frequency | kW | Service |
| 101.6 MHz | 0.06 | Capital Mid-Counties |

### Digital radio (DAB)

| Frequency | Block | kW | Operator |
| 220.35 MHz | 11C | 2.5 | CE Birmingham |
| 211.65 MHz | 10B | 5.0 | Derbyshire |

### Analogue television
#### 17 February 1956 – 3 January 1985

| Frequency | VHF | kW | Service |
| 189.75 MHz | 8 | 400 | Central (ABC until 1968/ATV until 1982) |

#### 30 March 1997 – 21 September 2011

Analogue television is no longer broadcast from Lichfield. Channel 5 closed on 21 September 2011.
| Frequency | UHF | kW | Service |
| 599.25 MHz | 37 | 1000 | Channel 5 |

### Digital television

Digital television is no longer broadcast from Lichfield as of 21 September 2011.
| Frequency | UHF | kW | Operator |
| 578.0 MHz | 34 | 4 | BBC B (Mux HD) |