Hythe (NOT to be confused with another relay in Kent, also called Hythe) was a special single channel ITV only relay, along with North Winchester and Hatch Bottom.
The town of Hythe is on the west side of Southampton water. Reception of Rowridge is screened by a local hill. This relay is in the same direction as Hannington to the north for the target service area, and was commissioned by Meridian in 1994 to provide the correct news sub region (from Rowridge) to the town.
Therefore (as with the other two sites) transmissions were horizontally polarised, so that most viewers need not alter their receiving aerial in order to receive it.
The Meridian sub region ceased in 2008, so this relay was superfluous and (along with the other two) it was switched off at DSO in March 2012.
Everything was still in place at the time of Dan's August 2012 visit. The antennas were still in place during August 2015 with no apparent re-use of the structure
|
