Heathfield transmitting station

The Heathfield transmitting station is a facility for FM and televisiontransmission at Heathfield, East Sussex, UK (grid reference TQ566220). Opened in 1969, its antenna mast is a 135 m (443 ft) tall guyed structure, giving the transmitter a height of 256 m (840 ft) above sea level. A Group B (or wideband or K group) horizontally polarised aerial is required to receive digital TV signals. The original analogue signals were in the Group C/D band, but all the digital MUXES should still be receivable on a C/D group aerial in reasonable signal areas.

The station's coverage area experiences co-channel interference problems, particularly to the south, not only with Brighton (Whitehawk Hill) but with the continent as well. It is owned and operated by Arqiva.

The transmitter broadcasts television and radio services to East Sussex and parts of West Sussex. This includes towns such as Hastings, Eastbourne, Bexhill, St Leonards-on-Sea, Heathfield, Lewes, Uckfield, Seaford, Newhaven, Peacehaven, Crowborough, Hailsham, Haywards Heath, Burgess Hill and East Grinstead.

Along with Bluebell Hill, Dover and Whitehawk Hill, Heathfield transmits regional television services from BBC One South East and ITV Meridian (east) although between 1993 and 2001 it transmitted BBC South from Southampton ensuring both East & West Sussex received the same regional news programme BBC South Today which is no longer the case.

Heathfield has 13 local relays: Bexhill, Ham Street, Haywards Heath, Hollington Park, East Dean, Eastbourne, Eastbourne (Old Town), Lamberhurst, Lewes, Mountfield, Newhaven, Sedlescombe and Wye. Channel 5 was never avabile at Heathfield, but it was available in hastings on Channel 35, & Tunbridge Wells on Channel 37.