Arqiva confirms switchover 'first phase' success

BBC Two analogue replaced by Freeview multiplex "PSB1"

^{Brian Butterworth published on UK Free TV 6th November 2008 at 06:52}

At 630am, Arquiva confirms that the first part of the Selkirk transmitter group switchover - the first full switchover - completed this morning.

"The BBC 2 analogue signal was switched off at 00:31 on Thursday 6 November 2008 and the digital signal for BBC Multiplex PSB1, which carries channels including BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Three, BBC Four, CBBC, CBeebies, BBC News, BBC Parliament and BBCi, was switched on at 02:16 on Thursday 6 November 2008. Full testing of the signal was completed at approximately 05:00."

The relay transmitters will be done at midday.

"Arqiva would like to confirm that the Digital Switch Over process in the Border region has begun successfully and the high-power digital TV Signal is now being transmitted from the main Selkirk transmitter and nine relay sites - Bonchester Bridge, Clovenfords, Galashiels, Hawick, Jedburgh, Lauder, Peebles, Stow, and Yetholm. The relay sites at Eyemouth and Innerleithen, which as planned require engineers to visit the sites in order to switch on the new services, are expected to be in service, on schedule, by midday on Thursday 6 November 2008."

All BBC TV channels on multiplex 1 (aka PSB1)

BBC Four, CBeebies and BBC Parliament have moved to this multiplex and the Community Channel and BBC digital radio channels remain on Multiplex B, which after an area switches will be refered to as BBC Multiplex B or PSB3.

Update at 1130am Following the earlier statement Arqiva can confirm that from 10.05am this morning, the Eyemouth and Innerleithen relay transmitters are now transmitting the new digital services (BBC Multiplex PSB1).

Peter Heslop, DSO Programme Director at Arqiva said: "We are pleased to confirm that all transmitters in the Selkirk transmitter group have successfully completed the first stage of Digital Switch Over.

"This is an ambitious broadcast engineering project which will see 1154 sites switch over during the next four years and Arqiva is extremely proud to be supporting the government and Digital UK in this project. As a result of Digital Switch Over, free digital terrestrial television will be available to almost all of the UK through a roof-top aerial, just as analogue terrestrial television has been for decades."