BBC RADIO BRISTOL

The map above shows the coverage area of BBC Radio Bristol from the FM transmitter at Mendip and lower power relays at Ilchester Crescent and Bath. The map also shows the daytime medium wave coverage from the transmitters at Mangotsfield (1548 kHz) and Taunton (now operating on 1566 khz). Until late 2007 the station is operating a part time opt-out radio service for the county of Somerset, called BBC Somerset Sound, from the Taunton AM transmitter on 1566kHz medium wave.

It is anticipated that BBC Somerset Sound will split from BBC Radio Bristol on a  full time basis and will gain a stand alone FM transmitter. In the summer of 2007 the BBC moved the Ilchester Crescent Bristol fill-in relay (94.9 MHz) to a new site on a tall tower high on Dundry Hill, at East Dundry Lane, overlooking the city. The Dundry Lane transmitter will provide a much enhanced coverage area compared to Ilchester Crescent.

This re-engineering of the 94.9 service appears to be the first stage in a plan for the BBC to re-allocate the 95.5MHz transmitter at Mendip to the new BBC Somerset Sound radio station. BBC Radio Bristol would continue on the enhanced 94.9 frequency for Bristol, South Gloucestershire and parts of North Somerset and also on 104.6 MHz from the Bath relay. A frequency of 103.6 MHz is also registered for BBC local radio at the Hutton transmission site, although unused at present, this could be utilised in the future to bring good reception to Weston Super Mare.

Once allocated full time use of 95.5 fromMendip, BBC Somerset Sound would have almost county wide coverage on vhf / fm. However there is a notable area of poor reception around Yeovil and this may be resolved by the installation of a low power fill-in relay transmitter. A frequency of 104.1 MHz is registerd with the ITU for this perpose. It is possible that Taunton may also be considered for a low power fill-in relay (possibly using 104.7MHz, which has also been registered with the ITU), in which case the transmitter scheme would be similar to that of the Somerset ILR station (Orchard FM) except that the coverage area of Mendip for theBBC local radio service is of higher power and almost omnidirectional compared to the lower power and highly directional signal from Mendip used for the ILR station.

It is unknown at present, but the BBC could commission such relays at Cheddington for Yeovil, as used for ILR Somerset, or maybe a site closer to the town (e.g. Coker Hill). In Taunton the BBC investigated Staple Hill, as did the IBA for the ILR station, but it is more likely that a site closer to, or indeed in the town would be considered - as was the eventual case for the ILR station - if a relay transmitter is considered. Additionally there is a chance that the BBC could consider a relay for Minehead to in order to provide a truly county wide vhf / fm service, but all of this is speculation at this stage (summer 2007).

The pixel plot above shows the very directional service (4kW max e.r.p.) on 102.6 MHz from Mendip for ILR Somerset (Orchard FM etc).  The two low power fill-in relay transmitters at Taunton and Cheddington are also included in this map.  The very low power relay for Taunton is located at the Orchard FM studios on a small mast within their grounds.  It is only 0.07 kW and re-inforces the signal in some parts of Taunton on 96.5 MHz.  The other relay is at Cheddington and provides better reception in the South of the transmission area to the South and West of Yeovil It uses 97.1 MHz with a power of 0.4 kW.

[ Also see the AVON page ]

Above:  The expected coverage as predicted by the RadioMobile plotting application
for ILR Bridgwater - BCRfm.  Transmitter power is 100 Watts verically polarised from
a transmitter in the town, frequency is 107.4 MHz.

The small scale station for Yeovil uses two transmitters; 250 Watts from Windwhistle Hill for the West of
the area on 106.6 MHz (solid green area) and a 250 Watt transmitter at Coker Hill for the East of the
area on 105.6 MHz (solid blue and blue outline).

ILR WESTON-SUPER-MARE  (1077 WFM / Star 10.7. etc)

ILR MINEHEAD (102.4 Quay West Radio)

BBC HUTTON RELAY STATION

The BBC national radio services are radiated at 40 watts with vertical polarisation from a highly directional aerial. I do not have the BBC's specification for the aerial or it's exact direction of maximum radiation. From studies, however, it appears to be directed at approximately 330 degrees and this is what this plot is based on using a yagi style radiation pattern.