The IBA built these masts for the launch of BRMB Radio in February 1974 on 1151kHz (261m in those days!). The site is at Langley Mill Farm, situated between the A38 and the A446 and can best be seen from the A446. The construction of the Birmingham Northern Relief Road (now known as the M6 Toll) resulted in footpaths being diverted and there is fairly limited access.
The masts are sited to the north east of the city so that the tight beam could be directed in a south-westerly direction across Birmingham away from London, Manchester and Newcastle: areas which had, or were soon to have, ILR stations on the same frequency.
Similarly the IBA built other highly directional aerial systems at Saffron Green, Ashton Moss, Rainford, Dechmont Hill, Greenside and Skew Hill. (Skew Hill is a three mast array, so was Rainford).
BBC Birmingham (later WM) initially operated from Sutton Coldfield but moved to Langley Mill late in 1981. The 1458 kHz allocation transferred to the Asian Network around 1996.
BRMB renamed to "Free Radio Birmingham" in March 2012 but the 1152 kHz allocation operated as "Xtra AM" from 1989 and a succession of other names before becoming "Free Radio 80s" in September 2012. The 1152 kHz service eventually came to an end on 30th June 2020.
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