Storeton transmitting station is a television relay and radio transmitter and mast on Storeton Ridge, Higher Bebington, Wirral, UK. It is a relay of Winter Hill and the only Winter Hill relay to carry all five analogue TV channels prior to digital switchover. The 45 metre-high mast is situated at an elevation of. Thus, the top of the mast has an overall height of above sea level. Construction of the mast was completed in 1980. As of 2009, the transmitter serves approximately 45,000 homes.
History
The Storeton relay was not an original VHF405-line transmitter. For 625-line analogue services on UHF, the relay covers Winter Hill blind spots in populated areas of Wirral and across the Mersey in south Liverpool. Prior to digital switchover, all five analogue channels and all six digital multiplexes are broadcast from the relay. Being a relay of Winter Hill, the transmitter is in the BBC North West and ITV Granada TV regions. The commercial local TV stationLiverpool TV with studios in Toxteth, Liverpool, and the commercial dual-regional radio stationCapital North West and Wales with studios in Gwersyllt, Wrecsam, are also broadcast from the site. Although located in England, the site is within eight miles of the North Wales coast. In conjunction with North Wales' digital switchover in November 2009, the transmitter also began to serve as a relay of Moel-y-Parc, carrying Welsh services to nearby parts of North East Wales, across the River Dee. In official OFCOM documentation the transmitter is listed as Storeton Wales for this purpose. Parts of those areas were previously poorly served with Welsh television services from Moel-y-Parc due to local geography, as natural landforms such as hills can block radio waves from being transmitted, resulting in poor radio and television. The final switchover date for the Winter Hill relay was 2 December 2009. The final date for the Moel-y-Parc relay was 25 November 2009, although the signal was altered a third time on 2 December with limited publicity.
