Moorside Edge (Kirklees, England) analogue radio transmitter
 | Google map |  | Bing map |  | Google Earth |  | 53.635,-1.896 or 53°38'6"N 1°53'44"W |
UK Free TV shows the coverage area for a radio transmitter as a coloured overlay (orange for FM, other colours for DAB) on the grey map. We have computed the coverage by combining the terrain with the official radiation pattern. A single click will select the transmitter to view the coverage for a single site, and a double click goes to a page showing full details. Click on the buttons in the right-hand corner of the map to choose from different frequencies (or multiplexes for DAB).
Are there any planned engineering works or unexpected transmitter faults on the Moorside Edge (Kirklees, England) mast?
No problems on any service. 
Local transmitter maps
Moorside Edge AM/FMSaturday, 11 August 2012
M
Mr G Hayward11:44 AM
Unfortunately depending on location, the "freeview" digital channels coverage varies immensely,also which particular governing body opted to remove ITV3 and ITV4 quite some time ago with the result that all transmissions ceased to be present south of Workington. The so called help line ( a telephone link, was cutoff due to the extremely high volume of calls attempting to register complaints at the channel cutbacks.
Unless you reside in a more populated area like Manchester , leeds etc etc the service is quite poor and not such value for money when you take into account the cost of having to purchase new equipment. If the Caldbeck digital transmitter ( covers the Workington area) with an additional 14 channels compared with what the area south of Whitehaven is allowed to view) why aren't these additional channels broadcasted here?
I would welcome a factual reply. Thankyou.
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Mr G Hayward: It probably won't surprise you to hear that this question of why some areas are not served by the full complement of Freeview channels is a frequently asked one on this website.
Terrestrial television is broadcast from "main" high-power transmitting stations serving wide areas. The majority of the population receive their TV signals from these transmitters which are sited on high-ground in order to affect greatest coverage.
In some areas the terrain prevents reception from these main stations. Typically this affects people in valleys or on the side of hills that face away from the transmitter. In these cases, small relay transmitters are installed that re-broadcast the output of the main station.
Unfortunately, we now have a two-tier terrestrial television transmitter network with Public Service broadcasters (PSB) and Commercial broadcasters (COM). Most relay transmitters only carry PSB channels because the Commercials don't see them as worth the investment.
The Commercial broadcasters achieve a 90% coverage from 81 of the largest transmitters  largest by viewer population  and for them to transmit from the 1,000 or so small relay transmitters would roughly double their transmission costs whilst only providing them with an additional 8.5% of the population. These 81 transmitters include all the main ones and some relays that have highly-populated coverage areas.
The Commercial broadcasters show adverts to viewers, and they wish to aquire at lowest possible cost  this being the simple law of capitalism. For this reason, it's not surprising that they don't wish to double their cost of transmission in order to increase their number of viewers by about 10%.
In response to your comment about more populated *areas* getting the full service: it is in fact the *transmitters* that have more-populated coverage areas that carry the full service. The main transmitters serve rural and urban areas and therefore there are many in rural areas who do get the full service. There are a few full-Freeview relay transmitters, and this is because they serve dense viewer-populations, such as those in Lancaster, Sheffield and Guildford.
The areas that are *not* served by the COMs are those which are prevented, by the terrain, from receiving from a (full-service) transmitter; *and* therefore which are served by a relay transmitter that, in the view of the Commercial broadcasters, doesn't warrant the outlay costs because the benefit (number of additional viewers) isn't worth it.
So it's not so much that built-up areas *do* get the full service, but more that *some* areas (rural and urban) don't.
There are PSB-only relays in built-up areas, just as there are in rural areas.
See also this page:
Will there ever be more services on the Freeview Light transmitters? | ukfree.tv - 10 years of independent, free digital TV advice
This is the way that it is, unfortunately. The decision was taken not to mandate a "Public Service" obligation on the Commercial licence-holders.
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Here are some thoughts on how you might get more channels:
- Investigate the possibility of receiving from another transmitter that does carry the full service. This might mean receiving from the main station that is the parent of the relay you are using now. If you are in a poor signal area as far as the main station is concerned (usually because the terrain blocks you from "seeing" it), then you may have to go to some length as far as an aerial installation goes, whereas the relay "may" be a good signal and therefore not require anything extravagant.
In some cases it is possible to receive the full service from another transmitter that carries programming from a different BBC/ITV region. Where this is possible, depending on the UHF channels (frequencies) used by the two transmitters, it may be possible to have two aerials and combine the feeds into one downlead to give the "right" region and the COMs. For example, you may be able to receive COMs from Moel y Parc.
I'm not familiar with the area you reside in, so I don't know how likely this might be.
The two-transmitter approach requires a receiver that will accommodate such a solution. One with only automatic tuning is much more difficult, if not impossible, to get to tune to the signals you want and not tune to the ones you don't.
- Get Freesat. Some channels that are on the Freeview COMs are not on Freesat, for example, Dave and Yesterday. See here for a comparison:
Compare TV Freeview/Freesat | ukfree.tv - 10 years of independent, free digital TV advice
Contrary to the ITV3 logo being under the heading "Channels on Freeview, but not on Freesat", it is available on Freesat.
I offer these suggestions only as possible practical solutions to the problem you face.
One other thing: if it turns out that you can receive from Caldbeck, or if you know anyone who can, the COMs from Caldbeck are on low power to protect against interference with those using Divis in Northern Ireland. This will be so until it switches to digital on 24th October. You may know some with aerials on Caldbeck who can only receive the PSB channels  this is the reason why.
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Saturday, 11 May 2013
P
Peter12:14 AM
Why do your transmitter coverage maps for AM transmissions show unrealistic coverage way way way beyond the actual areas covered by the transmitters ?! This is hardly representative and totally misleading and unhelpful ! People need to know the actual coverage area on a normal receiver for both daytime and night-time AM TXs, not the inaccurate coverage areas which you show. There is NO way that some of the areas you show as served provide anything like a reasonable signal. Please explain, then please amend !!!
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Monday, 3 June 2013
Peter: As it says by the map, they show the radiation patterns for the transmitters and not the actual coverage areas.
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Wednesday, 10 June 2015
D
Dave4:28 PM
Hi - I am not a Radio buff? - but today I cannot get Radio 5 Live - 909
on either of my 2 radios(not DAB).
Is the transmitter closed today.?.
I can get a poor reception on 693 but I think this is a Midlands transmitter.
I live in the North of Derbyshire near Glossop.
Thanks
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M
Moyra Hampson4:57 PM
Dave: I'm in Cheshire East (Wilmslow) and haven't been able to get AM 5 Live on either 909 or 693 all afternoon. This happened last week too. What's going on ? I don't usually have this problem. Thanks.
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J
jb388:53 PM
Dave: This is, or was, as it should on again by now, the reason for your inability to receive 5 live today.
Radio 5 Live - Planned work at the Moorside Edge Transmitter
Due to essential engineering work, we have had to temporarily shut down one of our major transmitters in the north of England, making 909AM unavailable to 5 live listeners in that area. To keep listening to 5 live, you can still find us on DAB digital radio, Digital television or online via bbc.co.uk/5live. Service will be restored after the work is completed, which is expected to be around 7pm. We're sorry for any disruption to your listening that this may cause.
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