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The new ITA network of UHF (Bands IV and V) 625-line transmitting stations should begin to come into service in some main areas on 15th November 1969, and will build up to provide national coverage over the following years. About 25 main stations and a considerable number of relay stations are planned to be in operation by the end of 1971.
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All these UHF stations will carry combined colour/black-and-white programmes from the time they are taken into service.
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The programmes transmitted on this network will be simultaneously transmitted on the 405-line system by the existing network of VHF (Band III) stations in black-and-white only. These VHF transmissions will continue unaffected for a number of years yet – so that no receivers will be rendered obsolete.
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The new network will not carry a ‘second’ Independent Television programme – but for the first time the ITV programmes will, in many cases, be available to viewers in the 625-line colour/black-and-white system.
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Viewers who can already receive existing BBC2 UHF transmissions in black-and-white or colour should usually be able to receive ITA UHF transmissions (when available in their district) without any change in receiver or aerial system.
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When all three British programme services are available in a particular district, it will be possible, if desired, to use a single-standard (625-line-only) receiver with a single UHF-only aerial. Such sets are likely to appear on the market.
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The most important factor in obtaining good UHF reception is to use a good aerial (installed in the loft, or better still on a high outside mounting) in conjunction with low-loss feeder cable.
