The important highly-populated industrial and agricultural area of North-East England, between the eastern slopes of the Pennine Chain and the sea, lies beyond the range of the Emley Moor transmitter in Yorkshire. Another station was therefore needed to provide an Independent Television service for this area.

A high site was found at Burnhope, about ten miles south-west of Newcastle upon Tyne, the major city in the area. It was within a few miles of the BBC's existing Band I station at Pontop Pike. Finding a site presented no special difficulty except the importance of avoiding land liable to mining subsidence, which abounds in this locality. This caused some delay while the records were searched and test bores made.

A mast 750 ft in height was needed to prevent 'shadowing' in the rather hilly country, and the maximum power of 100 kW which could be permitted on this channel was radiated in both the northerly and the southerly directions, so as to extend the service as far as possible. To the west the service is naturally blocked by the high barrier of the Pennine Chain and to the east its usefulness is limited by the North Sea. The power radiated in these directions was therefore limited to 20 kW and 70 kW respectively, no higher power being necessary. A special aerial was developed to give the required directional effect.

The station went into programme service on 15th January 1959.