New Bilsdale TV mast fire replacement to have 95% coverage

The Bilsdale mast caught fire on 10 August although the cause is yet to be determined

A new TV mast to replace the fire-damaged Bilsdale transmitter will provide coverage to 95% of homes, engineers have said.

The new 262ft (80m)-high mast will be used from 5 October "as long as the weather holds", operator Arqiva said.

About 23,000 homes in rural coastal and inland areas would still not have signal but other measures would be put in place, the firm's Paul Donovan said.

People were working "round the clock", he said.

Mr Donovan said there had been more than 200 helicopter trips lifting large concrete blocks and the metal structure in place in a quarry near the fire-damaged tower.

He said construction of the new mast was finished on Tuesday morning and work would now begin on its electronics.

Helicopters have been carrying materials to the site

"We are on target for the big switch on next Tuesday as long as the weather holds," he told BBC Radio Tees.

Mr Donovan said three replacement masts were opened after the fire on 10 August at Eston Nab, Sutton Bank and Arncliffe, although they had "relatively low power" and provided channels between BBC One and Channel 5 to 85% of Bilsdale-affected homes.

Once the new mast goes live, it will serve 95% of homes with 70 Freeview channels, Mr Donovan said, with 100% coverage only resumed when a new permanent mast is installed on the site of the Bilsdale transmitter which "is going to take some time".

Of the 23,000 homes still without signal until then, Mr Donovan said about half had cable, Sky or internet-based TV.

The others will be given FreeSat boxes and dishes or provided with internet TV.

Paul Donovan said people are working round the clock to get the new mast operational

Mr Donovan said a postcode checker will go live when the temporary mast is switched on, but isolated homes up the coast or in areas like Richmond, Leyburn and Masham will probably be affected by an ongoing lack of service.

He said the cause of the fire would not be known until the Bilsdale mast is dismantled.

The BBC has said some people who had been unable to access services for more than a month may be eligible to claim a partial refund or an extension to their TV Licence.

Further advice regarding services can be found here.

BBC television remains available on the iPlayer and radio stations can be listened to on BBC Sounds.