START ON BUILDING FOR TV TRANSMITTER

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29278, 9 August 1960, Page 15

START ON BUILDING FOR TV TRANSMITTER

Within a few days workmen will begin the erection of a concrete block building to house the 5 k.w. experimental TV transmitter in the grounds of station 3YA in Gloucester street

Employees of the Ministry of Works are engaged in alterations to transform the rooms in the south-west corner of the 3YA buildings from a recording technicians’ area into an 800 sq ft TV studio.

Within a month the 150 ft mast at the rear of the 3YA building will be dismantled and sent to Dunedin for that city’s 'mast for experimental television at the Highcliff site. The New Zealand Broadcasting Service regional engineer in Christchurch <Mr R. G. Tullochsaid yesterday that the dismantling of the well-known 150-foot orange and white landmark in Christchurch and its dispatch to Dunedin would not interfere with Christchurch’s plans for TV Mr Tulloch said that plans for Christchurch were that the mast on top of the 3YA building, of equal height to the mast to be dismantled and sent to Dunedin within the next few weeks would be used to carry the aerial, constructed on outriggers on top of the mast, for the 5 k.w. experimental station. Arrangement Mr Tulloch said that the N.Z.B.S. had come to an arrangement with the Christchurch City Council over the erection of a building to house the experimental transmitter in the eastern portion of the Government-owned property of station 3YA. The City Council at its meeting in June, declined, under its townplanning powers, a permit for the N.Z.B.S. to erect a temporary building to house the experimental transmitter. “An arrangement has been agreed on. Work on the building to house the transmitter has been arranged between the city council and the N.Z.8.5.,” said Mr Tulloch Mr Tulloch said that it was hoped to have telecasts from the experimental station in Christchurch within six months. Questioned further about the schedule

of planning, he said it was possible that telecasts would take place before the General Election this year.

In the meantime, said Mr Tulloch, field tests were continuing to determine the site for the permanent transmitter on the Port Hills for telecasts. This site would house a 100 k.w. transmitter

which would give a TV coverage from the sea to the Southern Alps, and from Kaikoura to Ashburton, and possibly to Timaru. It would give coverage “round bends’’ at Akaroa and Sumner.

Mr Tulloch said it might be four or five years before the 100 k.w. permanent transmitting site on the Port Hills came into operation.