Brighton transmitters will be in BBC South East from 7th March 2012
Brian Butterworth published on UK Free TV Back on 3 September 2001, the BBC split the old Newsroom South East region.
The Oxford part had became an opt-out of South Today from Southampton in October 2000, and in late 2001 the rest of this large region was then split into two: a service for "M25" London (BBC London News) and another one for Kent and East Sussex.
This new service, which is based at studios in Tunbridge Wells, is called South East Today.
The city of Brighton and Hove, which is located in East Sussex, is just 33 miles from Tunbridge Wells, did not switch to this new service on analogue or Freeview, but Sky, Virgin Media cable and Freesat viewers have enjoyed South East Today for many years.
Central London is closer - and better connected - to Brighton than Southampton, Hampshire. Brighton and Hove's 250,000 population makes it the largest city in the South East Today region, larger than Canterbury's and Maidstone's 150,000.
Brighton and Hove is served by one main transmitter on Whitehawk Hill, and eight relays at Bevendean, Brighton (Central), Coldean, Hangleton, Ovingdean, Portslade, Patcham, and Saltdean; historically some viewers in the west of the city had their aerials pointing at the Rowridge transmitter on the Isle of Wight.
At switchover, all the transmitters in Brighton and Hove will switch to the South East Today region on Freeview.
7:14 AM
Burgess Hill
That's interesting cos Virgin Media is still showing local news from Southampton in my house and that of all the Virgin Media customers that I have in Brighton.
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John Clemence: I had the information about cable from a reliable source.
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9:52 AM
Burgess Hill
Again, interesting. Who is your reliable source?
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11:06 AM
Burgess Hill
OK - Fair enough. However I can 'reliably' inform you that we get local news on cable from Southampton here, in Brighton, on Virgin Media cable.
Perhaps others here can confirm or correct this for me please and if I am wrong I can try to find out why Virgin Media have singled me out for the last 14 years or so to receive something different to the rest of the town.
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John Clemence: I've just checked with someone and they seem quite convinced they have South East today on digital cable in Brighton, but I will ask them to recheck tomorrow evening.
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2:10 PM
Burgess Hill
Good idea. Just to confirm that at 6.30pm my news comes from Sally Taylor and the team in Southampton. I assume that this is what we are talking about here.
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John Clemence: I can't help noticing you show up as having a Burgess Hill postcode.
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5:23 PM
Burgess Hill
That was because I was trying to find signal strength and other information for a client. I'm BN1 5EH and have been since 1981. Sorry for the confusion.
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