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THE TRANSMISSION GALLERY

BURGHEAD

Photos by Martin Briscoe Page last updated: 2021-08-18

Burghead in the early 1970s when they still had real transmitters

A few details of the original Burghead building from Pevsner: Art Deco buildings by Wimperis, Simpson & Guthrie 1934 - 1936 with M T Tudsbury, BBC engineer. Demolished 1984. The style was similar to those at Washford (see link below) and the other 1930s "Regional" stations. Burghead entered service on the 12th October 1936 with the Scottish Regional Programme on 767 kHz. It was the second regional station to have a rated output power of 100kW and to take its power from the public electricity supply (the first in both cases being Lisnagarvey which opened 7 months earlier).

At the start of WW2 the transmitted programme became the Home Service. During the war a 2kW transmitter was installed in the valve store and this transmitted the Forces Programme on 877 kHz from September 1941 until the end of WW2.

By the end of the war a 20kW transmitter had been installed and this transmitted the Light Programme on 1149 kHz from the 29th July 1945. From the same date the original 100kW transmitter then transmitted the Scottish Home Service, still on 767 kHz.

The Copenhagen frequency plan was implemented on the 15th March 1950, with the Scottish Home Service changed to 809 kHz, and the Light Programme to 1214 kHz. On the 30th September 1967, 1214 kHz was re-assigned to Radio 1.

With the Geneva plan re-organisation on 23rd November 1978, Burghead gained 3 additional transmitters. Radio 1 on 1053 kHz, Radio 2 on 693 kHz, and Radio 4 on 200 kHz, with Radio Scotland on 810 kHz and Radio 3 on 1215 kHz.

1st February 1988 the Radio 4 frequency was changed to 198 kHz.
27th August 1990, 693 kHz was re-assigned to Radio 5.
28th February 1992, Radio 3 on 1215 kHz closed.
30th June 1994, Radio 1 on 1053 kHz closed.

The original Burghead building and main transmitter. T1 was the original transmitter from the 1930s. Probably around 1973.
These are old slides and some are quite dirty etc


Burghead around 1973


Burghead around 1973
Reserve antenna


Burghead around 1973
T1


Burghead around 1973
T1


Burghead around 1973
T2


Burghead around 1973
Switchboard


Burghead around 1973


Burghead around 1973
Diesel generator


Burghead around 1973
T1


Burghead around 1973


Burghead around 1973
EHT generator for T1


Burghead around 1973
Main switchboard


Burghead around 1973


BELOW: a clipping from Wireless World reveals the first tentative steps in the search for a BBC site in northern Scotland.



Burghead index

Lisnagarvey | Washford MF

BBC RD report; Field strength of the Scottish regional transmitter in the north of Scotland (1935)
BBC RD report: Signal strength contours (1937)

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