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UK Broadcast Transmission |
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THE TRANSMISSION GALLERY
| Photos by Ringway Manchester | Page last updated: 2026-01-14 |
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| This site at Mersey Road in Birkenhead replaced a former Group H site at the Crawford's Biscuit factory in Liverpool, which had been used to transmit the Third Programme from the launch of the service in 1946. The finishing touches were completed on the new BBC Third Programme relay station installed at Mersey Road, Rock Ferry which entered service on 203.5 metres or 1474 kHz on 23rd January 1950. There were no engineers on site to operate the equipment. The new station was fully automatic and operated by remote control over telephone lines from Broadcasting House in Manchester. It was ten times more powerful than the Liverpool Group H site (which it now superseded), at 1 kilowatt. The increase in power at Mersey Road along with a much more efficient aerial ensured much better reception of the Third Programme on Merseyside. The BBC installed two transmitters at Mersey Road with one serving as a reserve. Being controlled over telephone lines meant that engineers could bring either transmitter into service and check their performance. The aerial system consisted of a T aerial which was supported by two 38.4m or 126ft tubular steel masts. The frequency was changed to 1546 kHz or 194m on 15th March 1950. The site closed on 2nd September 1972 when many BBC local radio stations commenced duplication on medium wave. It is somewhat surprising that this site wasn't used for Radio Merseyside. Instead a new site was built at Wallasey. |
| The suspended T-aerial (albeit hard to see) in January 1950. The tubular steels which support it are clearly visible in this unpublished photo. (Ringway Manchester archive). |
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