Mast height | 235.4 metres (772 ft) |
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Coordinates | 51°56′40″N 4°39′40″W / 51.9444°N 4.6611°WCoordinates: 51°56′40″N 4°39′40″W / 51.9444°N 4.6611°W |
Grid reference | SN172306 |
Built | 1962 |
BBC region | BBC Wales |
ITV region | ITV Wales |
The Preseli transmitting station (also spelt Presely) is a broadcasting and telecommunications facility, situated close to the village of Crymych, in Pembrokeshire, Wales (grid reference SN172306). It is owned and operated by Arqiva.
It has a 235.4 metres (772 ft) high guyed steel lattice mast. It was constructed in 1962 by the IBA to transmit ITV 405-line television with transmissions commencing on Band III channel 8 from antennas at 559 m (1,835 ft) above sea level. The triangle of antenna arrays aimed beams of signal towards Pembrokeshire, another lobe was directed towards western Carmarthenshire and a northward beam covered south western Cardiganshire. The northward beam from the site also fed the transmitter at Arfon in North Wales.
The Welsh region ITV programming was initially provided by Teledu Cymru which was taken over by TWW in 1964, and eventually HTV Wales who took over from 1968.
In 1971, three protesters from Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg were jailed for "conspiring to trespass" after gaining access to the site compound and climbing the lower section of the mast. This was part of a series of protests in Wales aiming to get a dedicated Welsh-language TV channel established. The campaign was eventually considered to have been mostly successful with the establishment of S4C (Sianel 4 Cymru) eleven years later.