|
|
Inishowen televisions going
digital 09.05.08
|
DIGITAL terrestrial TV
is coming to Inishowen as RTÉ seeks to upgrade its
transmitter at Holywell Hill at Altaghderry in
Killea. However, the new digital service, due to
come on-stream by 2012, will not solve the bad
reception that has plagued areas across the
peninsula.
Scores of households in the Burt area have been
forced to subscribe to satellite providers such as
Sky in order to receive clear RTÉ TV pictures. A
basic annual subscription to Sky costs €240, which
is in addition to an annual TV licence fee of €160. |
 |
RTÉ has sought planning
permission from Donegal County Council to build a
prefabricated cabin at Holywell Hill to house the
new digital broadcasting equipment. Holywell Hill
has been broadcasting RTÉ pictures to Donegal and
Derry since 1981.
“While it will be a digital signal, it |
will still be broadcast
terrestrially and I’m afraid that won’t provide much
comfort to households that cannot currently receive
clear analogue pictures,” an RTÉ spokesman said.
“The signal will be no better or worse than what
households currently have.”
The spokesman added that RTÉ had met its legal
obligation of providing coverage to 99% of the
population of the State and that local conditions
means that 100% cannot be achieved.
Robert McGrath, a Newtowncunningham-based TV
installation expert, said that there are patches
across Inishowen that cannot receive RTÉ or the
British channels. “But the move to digital will
cause enormous problems for households that do not
receive a perfect, crystal clear signal at the
moment,” he warned. “If you have snowy TV pictures
you won’t be able to receive terrestrial digital at
all.”
Robert explained that the Muff area receives a
perfect signal from the digital transmitter at
Limavady, but that the signal cannot be received in
Quigley’s Point or Redcastle because of a ‘shadow
effect’.
“I’ve been busy installing the digital freeview
systems with satellite dish in recent months, and
getting a lot of work in the Clonmany and Urris
areas,” he said. “Their RTÉ pictures are fine, but
they can’t get the British channels without help.”
(Story: Inishowen Independent) |
|
