Since the fire on the afternoon of Tuesday 10th August 2021, engineers have been working to restore services across North Yorkshire, Teesside and parts of County Durham.
A temporary mast near to the original Bilsdale transmitter site went live on 13th October. However, coverage from the new mast still leaves many households with poor or no reception.
On this page, you’ll see all the latest developments, frequently updated for affected viewers and installers:
The situation since 23rd December 2021:
An 80 metre high temporary mast at Bilsdale Quarry is now live. It has reduced coverage compared to the now demolished original mast. Normal service is unlikely to be restored for many months.
Most viewers to the south and west of the North York Moors should now get a signal from the new Bilsdale Quarry mast. Viewers to the north and east are more likely to not have a signal. Therefore, additional relays at Arncliffe Wood and Eston Nab (near Middlesbrough) are still on-air.
Since the end of October various new ‘filler’ relays have gone live across the area. As a result, 97% of households in the affected areas should now be able to receive at least the basic Freeview channels.
Viewers can try manual tuning to see if they can receive any service from any of the transmitters in the area.
Manual tuning information
The following contains the multiplexes and UHF channel number for the Bilsdale replacement mast, plus all new filler relays. If you need to convert UHF channel numbers to frequencies, you can do so using this table.
Bilsdale Quarry
| Multiplex name | UHF channel number | Further details |
| BBC-A | 27 | The BBC’s main channels in standard definition |
| D3&4 | 24 | ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 and some off-shoot services. |
| BBC-B HD | 21 | Includes all the main five channels in HD |
| SDN | 43 | A bundle of commercial channels including 5STAR, ITVBe and Quest |
| Arqiva A | 46 | A bundle of commercial channels including Sky News, Sky Arts, Dave and 4seven. |
| Arqiva B | 40 | A bundle of commercial channels including HGTV, PBS America and Yesterday. |
| COM7 HD | 55 | Additional HD channels, including BBC Four HD and Quest HD, plus SD channels Freesports and Forces TV. |
Eston Nab (receivable in parts of Middlesbrough, Hartlepool and Redcar)
| Multiplex name | UHF channel number | Further details |
| BBC-A | 23 | The BBC’s main channels in standard definition |
| D3&4 | 26 | ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 and some off-shoot services. |
| BBC-B HD | 28 | Includes all the main five channels in HD |
| SDN | 22 | A bundle of commercial channels including 5STAR, ITVBe and Quest |
| Arqiva A | 25 | A bundle of commercial channels including Sky News, Sky Arts, Dave and 4seven |
| Arqiva B | 48 | A bundle of commercial channels including HGTV, PBS America and Yesterday |
| COM7 HD | 55 | Additional HD channels, including BBC Four HD and Quest HD, plus SD channels Freesports and Forces TV |
| LOCAL (MDB) | 30 | Local TV channel Teesside TV, plus GREAT! movies Christmas, Ideal Extra and TinyPOP |
Arncliffe Wood (receivable in the Northallerton area up to Scotch Corner)
Off-air on 5th January 2022 for maintenance work.
| Multiplex name | UHF channel number | Further details |
| BBC-A | 29 | The BBC’s main channels in standard definition |
| D3&4 | 31 | ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 and some off-shoot services. |
| BBC-B HD | 37 | Includes all the main five channels in HD |
Bainbridge HP (NEW FILLER RELAY)
Complements existing VP relay for viewers in the area.
| Multiplex name | UHF channel number | Further details |
| BBC-A | 41 | The BBC’s main channels in standard definition |
| D3&4 | 44 | ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 and some off-shoot services. |
| BBC-B HD | 47 | Includes all the main five channels in HD |
Helmsley (NEW FILLER RELAY)
| Multiplex name | UHF channel number | Further details |
| BBC-A | 29 | The BBC’s main channels in standard definition |
| D3&4 | 31 | ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 and some off-shoot services. |
| BBC-B HD | 37 | Includes all the main five channels in HD |
Kirkbymoorside (NEW FILLER RELAY)
Also covering parts of Pickering.
| Multiplex name | UHF channel number | Further details |
| BBC-A | 22 | The BBC’s main channels in standard definition |
| D3&4 | 25 | ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 and some off-shoot services. |
| BBC-B HD | 28 | Includes all the main five channels in HD |
Leyburn (NEW FILLER RELAY)
| Multiplex name | UHF channel number | Further details |
| BBC-A | 33 | The BBC’s main channels in standard definition |
| D3&4 | 36 | ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 and some off-shoot services. |
| BBC-B HD | 48 | Includes all the main five channels in HD |
Loftus (NEW FILLER RELAY)
| Multiplex name | UHF channel number | Further details |
| BBC-A | 29 | The BBC’s main channels in standard definition |
| D3&4 | 31 | ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 and some off-shoot services. |
| BBC-B HD | 37 | Includes all the main five channels in HD |
Masham – Limekiln Lane (NEW FILLER RELAY)
| Multiplex name | UHF channel number | Further details |
| BBC-A | 29 | The BBC’s main channels in standard definition |
| D3&4 | 31 | ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 and some off-shoot services. |
| BBC-B HD | 37 | Includes all the main five channels in HD |
Ripon – Hutton Lane (NEW FILLER RELAY)
| Multiplex name | UHF channel number | Further details |
| BBC-A | 22 | The BBC’s main channels in standard definition |
| D3&4 | 25 | ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 and some off-shoot services. |
| BBC-B HD | 28 | Includes all the main five channels in HD |
Thirsk (NEW FILLER RELAY)
| Multiplex name | UHF channel number | Further details |
| BBC-A | 30 | The BBC’s main channels in standard definition |
| D3&4 | 26 | ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 and some off-shoot services. |
| BBC-B HD | 23 | Includes all the main five channels in HD |
Additional relays will be added in the coming weeks. UHF channels may change at short notice.
Viewers who are still without a signal
Some viewers will continue to be without a signal.
Transmitter operator Arqiva is responsible for overseeing a restoration of service. It has recently announced that some households will be eligible for a voucher to buy a streaming stick.
Those who qualify for further help through the Project Restore Home Support team must meet the following conditions:
- Cannot watch BBC One, BBC Two, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 (in standard definition) on their main TV set – whether this is through the aerial or through a connected SMART TV
- Do not have TV from Sky, Virgin, Freesat, BT TV on their main TV set
- Live in the affected area
- Have not claimed a £50 Curry’s voucher that Arqiva will mail out to those households in not-spots.
If this applies to you, call freephone 0800 121 4828.
[Source: Freeview]
Find out more about Freesat
Freesat offers an alternative way of accessing free-to-air TV and radio services, but through a satellite dish. You can find out more about Freesat here and check out Freesat’s channel list.