Arfon transmitting station

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The Arfon transmitting station is a facility for FM radio and television transmission at Nasareth, Caernarfon, Gwynedd in northwestern Wales (grid reference SH476493). It includes a 308.7 metres (1,013 ft) guyed mast with antennas attached at various heights, which is the tallest structure in Wales. It is owned and operated by Arqiva.

The station was built by the ITA in the 1960s to provide a 405-line ITV Band III (VHF) TV service for north west Wales. Unlike the BBC, which served the area from Llanddona (on the island of Anglesey), Arfon gave better coverage to some areas. 405-line TV was discontinued in the UK in 1985.

In October 1975 the site became a medium power 625 line UHF TV relay of Llandonna, at the time carrying BBC One, BBC Two and ITV. S4C was added in 1982. More recently, Police and Ambulance communications have been added, in addition to mobile (cellular) telephone antennas. In 1993, Classic FM began using the site for FM coverage of north west Wales in preference to Llanddona (the BBC's regional FM site), partly due to a dispute over BBC charges for sharing fees of its transmitter masts and antennae, but more because Arfon, in conjunction with Great Ormes Head (near Llandudno) gave Classic FM better coverage than the BBC sites.

On 16 November 1998, local commercial radio station Champion 103 launched from studios in Caernarfon with its transmitter at Arfon.

The mast had its aircraft warning lights replaced in Summer 2006 to red lamps employing arrays of ultrabright LEDs.

On 18 July 2006, national digital radio network Digital One began broadcasting from the station.

www.thebigtower.com/live/Arfon