Bilsdale mast: Construction begins to replace fire-damaged TV and radio transmitter

Construction work is now underway to replace the fire-damaged Bilsdale mast in North Yorkshire.

About 100 people began construction of the new 262ft (80m)-high temporary mast on Monday (13 September), operator Arqiva said.

Thousands of homes in the North East and North Yorkshire have been without any signal since early August.

A spokesman said it was hoped to be operational within 21 days and will provide a Freeview TV signal to 90% of those served by the Bilsdale transmitter, which was hit by a blaze on 10 August.

The new temporary Bilsdale mast is on land 2,200ft (670m) above sea level and will only operate until winter.

Once the temporary tower is in place, work will begin on a permanent replacement on the existing Bilsdale mast site.

Work will include excavation of heather, which will be re-seeded in the area later, and installation of stone that has the right levels of acidity for the surrounding environment.

A spokesman for the operator said: "Arqiva’s priority is now on working with organisations across the affected area including local councils, housing associations and charities to reach and support those who may remain without signal following the mast build, and to prioritise the most vulnerable people affected."

Adrian Twyning, Chief of Operations at Arqiva, said: “We are working 24/7 to restore services to as many people as possible across the North-East and North Yorkshire. This is complex work, involving multiple agencies and highly skilled teams. We are fully committed to the task at hand.”

Bilsdale signal advice

Freeview have suggested that those still without signal take the following steps:

  • "We advise all viewers who are struggling to pick up a signal on their TV to try an automatic retune (even if this has happened recently). You can learn how to do this with our retune videos.  Area-specific information is below.

Bilsdale advice if you live...

South of Bilsdale (including in and around northern parts of York, Harrogate, Pickering, Ripon and Masham)

You may receive some channels from the new transmitter at Sutton Bank.  If you haven’t retuned since the fire, you may see some channels restored automatically.  If you don’t see any channels, please try an automatic retune. 

If you retuned before 7th September and you have intermittent reception, we recommend you carry out another automatic retune as the signal from Sutton Bank may well be stronger. 

If an automatic retune does not restore any channels unfortunately it is unlikely that you will be able to receive a signal until further transmitter work is completed. 

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North-west of Bilsdale (including in and around Darlington, Barnard Castle, Richmond, Catterick and Leyburn)

If you do not have any channels, we recommend you carry out an automatic retune.

Some viewers who retuned since the fire and had some channel restored may find that they have recently lost them.  If this is the case, please carry out another automatic retune.

If an automatic retune does not restore any channels unfortunately it is unlikely that you will be able to receive a signal until further transmitter work is completed. 

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North of Bilsdale (including in and around Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar, and Stockton)

If you do not have any channels, we recommend you carry out an automatic retune. 

On 2nd September, more channels were restored to some viewers in these areas. Coverage is limited but if you’ve not retuned since 2nd September, we recommend that you do so to ensure that you have as many channels available to you as possible. 

If an automatic retune does not restore any channels unfortunately it is unlikely that you will be able to receive a signal until further transmitter work is completed. 

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If you take your signal from any of Bilsdale’s relays (see list below)

  • Whitby, Bainbridge, Grinton Lodge, Guisborough, Ravenscar, Limber Hill, Skinningrove, Romaldkirk, West Burton, Aislaby, Castleton, Rookhope, Rosedale Abbey  ane Peterlee 

  • You should have seen channels restored. If you haven’t please run an automatic retune.   

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  • "If an automatic retune does not restore any channels - irrespective of whether you live in the areas mentioned above - unfortunately it is unlikely that you will be able to receive a signal until further transmitter work is completed."

What should I do if I can’t get Freeview reception and don’t want to wait for the Bilsdale temporary transmitter?

1. Find out whether repositioning your aerial could restore some channels 

Repositioning your aerial so that it takes a signal from a different transmitter may be an option for some viewers who wish to attempt to get some signal back in the short term. However, there's no guarantee that another transmitter is available (reception is highly dependent on several factors such as local geography between you and the transmitter), and the signal quality might be variable..

If you choose to have your aerial repositioned - which should only be carried out by a professional and experienced installer - you may wish to then have it repositioned again when service from Bilsdale is restored. Please do not attempt this yourself. Look for a local accredited installer at:

2. Stay watching TV for free with Freesat 

If you have an existing satellite dish at your home, or wish to get one installed, see Freesat’s guide to switching to see whether watching free TV through them might be for you.