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02
Sept 2021
'Why is it taking so long?': Harrogate residents anger over ongoing TV blackout
Harrogate district residents are becoming increasingly angry about the amount of time it is taking to restore their TV and radio signals.
More than three weeks have passed since the Bilsdale transmitter near Helmsley caught fire, causing about 500,000 homes in the north-east, including many in the Harrogate district, to lose their TV and radio signal.
Although some channels have returned for some, others are still staring at a black screen.
Frustration is growing at the apparent lack of progress and several people have contacted the Stray Ferret to express their anger.
Terry Sherwood, from Harrogate, is among those still without a TV signal. He said:
Some people told the Stray Ferret they were disappointed at not receiving any communication directly from Arqiva, the telecommunications company that manages the mast, or Freeview. They were instead waiting for updates online.
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Another district resident, Siobhan Mckenna, said elderly neighbours had come to her for help after first thinking their TVs were broken.
'Surely a temporary signal could have been provided?'
Some of Ms Mckenna's channels have returned but these are all BBC and radio. She said:
Arqiva's latest update on its website six days ago said:
The Stray Ferret asked Arqiva for a further update but did not receive a response.
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