How do TV programmes get from the broadcaster to the transmitters?

TimK2015

Member
I can see how the fill-in transmitters work such as Blackburn in Rotherham as they have two sets of antennae. How does it work with the main transmitters?
 
My guess is multiple technologies. At least some of the installations pre-date fibre.

Take Wenvoe: the studios are just down the hill from the mast, so some kind of cable seems likely.

Mendip: 30 miles (ish). Microwave? I mean, you do see microwave dishes on the masts.

But that's the last link. The regional studios still have to be fed from the national hub.
 
Fibres (was supplied by BT as point to multipoint when I was in the know; likely superseded by later iP cloud technology) and a more recent satellite backup, for the BBC. Dual fibres to each site, diversely routed so that one fault doesn't take the site off air. Satellite backup - used in anger when Bilsdale caught fire. ITV/C4/C5 got their own backup cobbled together as a result of that.

Coding and multiplexing is at two diverse sites and they have satellite uplink facilities, too. Studio centres feed over BBC's own fibre connectivity to the two C&M centres and to other studio centres.

There may still be a few 'fibre' routes that use microwave links to carry the data in the BT network; probably very few left now for that specific use (if any).

Virgin I believe 'collect' the signals from BBC (and likely others) using their own fibres.

Analogue TV was sent from studios to transmitter chains - often via 'self provide' microwave link to save BT vision circuit costs.

Radio distribution is, of course, a different matter - even to the same transmitter sites.
 
Mendip: 30 miles (ish). Microwave? I mean, you do see microwave dishes on the masts.
There is a microwave dish on the BBC's Nottingham centre. It points towards the Waltham transmitter. Rumour has it that it is used for OB links. OB points to Waltham - because it's rather tall and easy to locate, the studios are not. Wouldn't swear to that. Anyway, probably superceded by other methods.
 
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