Editing Mendip transmitting station (section)

==Television==
Mendip was configured as a C/D group transmitter when it entered service with analogue [[PAL]] transmissions. In July 2007, [[Ofcom]] confirmed that it would remain a C/D group transmitter at [[Digital switchover dates in the United Kingdom|digital switchover]]. The mast broadcasts digital television over a large area of the west of England, including [[Somerset]], [[Wiltshire]], [[Bristol]], southern [[Gloucestershire]], and northern [[Dorset]]. Northern Gloucestershire – such as most of [[Cheltenham]] and [[Tewkesbury]] – is outside the coverage area, instead receiving signals from the [[Ridge Hill transmitting station|Ridge Hill]] transmitter in Herefordshire.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2004-05-01 |title=Ridge Hill (County of Herefordshire, England) Full Freeview transmitter |url=https://ukfree.tv/transmitters/tv/Ridge_Hill |access-date=2024-03-26 |website=UK Free TV |language=en}}</ref>

Cardiff and other parts of southeast [[Wales]] were also able to receive the analogue TV transmissions from Mendip,<ref>{{cite web |title=UHF Analogue TV Transmitters – Mendip |url=http://tx.mb21.co.uk/mapsys/map.php?mapid=62 |access-date=2021-02-07 |publisher=Mike Brown |website=mb21 UK Broadcast Transmission}}</ref> and many households used it in preference to their more local [[Wenvoe transmitting station|Wenvoe]] transmitter which carries the Wales variations of BBC One, BBC Two, and ITV. This was originally because the Wenvoe transmitter broadcast [[S4C]] (with programmes in Welsh and some prime-time English programmes from Channel 4 scheduled at much later times) rather than Channel 4 itself.  Even after digital switchover when transmitters in Wales also began to broadcast Channel 4 in addition to S4C, some households continued with their preference for the West variations of BBC One, BBC Two, and ITV, and having Channel 4 (not S4C) as number 4 on the electronic programme guide.

Power on analogue transmissions was 500&nbsp;kW ([[Effective radiated power|ERP]]) for BBC 1, BBC2, HTV West, Channel 4, and 126&nbsp;kW (ERP) for Channel 5. The latter was transmitted outside of the original C/D grouping of the transmitter but most homes in reasonable signal areas for the C/D group could receive it with their C/D group aerial. All six digital multiplexes were transmitted at 10&nbsp;kW until switchover in 2010 when the power on the "BBC A", "BBC B/HD" and "D3&4" multiplexes was boosted to 100&nbsp;kW. In 2011, SDN was boosted to 50&nbsp;kW and in 2012 the remaining two Arqiva multiplexes were boosted to 50&nbsp;kW too.

In June 2019, as part of the 700MHz clearance programme, Mendip became K group (excluding muxes 7 and 8, which are due to be switched off between 2020 and 2022). This means that homes in poor signal areas which still have a C/D group aerial may have difficulty in receiving all multiplexes.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Mendip Transmitter|url=https://www.aerialsandtv.com/knowledge/transmitters/mendip-transmitter#mendip-graph|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2021-02-07|website=A.T.V. Poles, Brackets, Clamps & Aerials|language=en-GB}}</ref>

Mendip's population coverage is around 1.5 million, although some homes in the immediate vicinity, such as those in [[Cheddar, Somerset|Cheddar]], are unable to receive a signal due to being in the shadow of the Mendip Hills and therefore depend on local relays.