1st September 1962
Freemont Point transmitting station opens
The 139m transmission tower at Freemont Point was built by the Independent Television Authority (ITA) to serve the whole of the Channel Islands. Although its signal is strong enough to cover the whole region, it is backed up by relay stations at St Brelades, St Helier and Gorey on Jersey, and at Torteval, St Peter Port and Les Touillets on Guernsey. There is a seventh relay on the eastern side of Alderney.
Being so close to France meant that planning for the transmitter’s opening took a lot of work. Thus, it was inevitably the last piece of the independent television network puzzle to be put in place and, even then, engineers had to be careful about power. They used the relay station on Alderney to get mainland signals to Jersey for rebroadcast from the tower, the power of which was carefully trimmed so that, to the east, where it would have strayed towards France, it was less powerful than in other directions. Work to ready it for digital TV took place in August 2010, with the Channel Islands switching from analogue on 17 November that year.
The tower doesn’t only handle television broadcasts; it also hosts the transmitters for both BBC Radio and local commercial station Channel 103.
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Other events that occured in September
Jersey man gives evidence at Belsen concentration camp trial
- Harold le Druillenec was the only British survivor of the Belsen camp, where he was sent towards the end of the Second World War.
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The first grower of Jersey Royal potatoes dies
- Jersey owes a great debt to Hugh de la Haye, who first grew Jersey Royal potatoes at Bushy Farm, Mont Cochon.
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Composer Gerald Le Feuvre is born
- Le Fevure was born in Jersey and educated at the Royal Academy of Music in London. He founded the Kings Chamber Orchestra.
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A Jersey murderer is transported for life
- Jacques Fouquet was covicted twice of murdering his neighbour and sentenced to be transported for the remainder of his life.
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