A TV transmitter mast isn't "just a galvanised steel frame" ! They are significant civil engineering projects in their own right, and one of the characteristics of good transmitter sites is that they tend to be on top of hills in inhospitable conditions - WInter Hill is probably quite nice on a calm summer day, it certainly isn't in winter. Also, don't forget that the original Emley Moor transmitter mast was brought down in 1969 by ice accretion (possibly also involving structural oscillation, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emley_Moor_transmitting_station).
As for Winter Hill : "The main mast structure is 309.48 metres (1,015 ft) tall and has a diameter of 2.75 metres (9.0 ft)" ... "at 778.1 metres (2,553 ft) above sea level, Winter Hill has the highest television transmitting antenna in the UK" Trust me, in winter you do not want to be up there !
There has been considerable engineering work on the Winter Hill tower, and this has been constrained by the weather - being limited to summer, and then restricted on some days due to wind. This sort of work isn't something you can pop down to the local Job Centre and pick up a handful of mechanics for, so that naturally required that switchover be phased so as to allow all the owrk to be done by the number of qualified people available.
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@AC 16:14
A TV transmitter mast isn't "just a galvanised steel frame" ! They are significant civil engineering projects in their own right, and one of the characteristics of good transmitter sites is that they tend to be on top of hills in inhospitable conditions - WInter Hill is probably quite nice on a calm summer day, it certainly isn't in winter. Also, don't forget that the original Emley Moor transmitter mast was brought down in 1969 by ice accretion (possibly also involving structural oscillation, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emley_Moor_transmitting_station).
As for Winter Hill : "The main mast structure is 309.48 metres (1,015 ft) tall and has a diameter of 2.75 metres (9.0 ft)" ... "at 778.1 metres (2,553 ft) above sea level, Winter Hill has the highest television transmitting antenna in the UK" Trust me, in winter you do not want to be up there !
There has been considerable engineering work on the Winter Hill tower, and this has been constrained by the weather - being limited to summer, and then restricted on some days due to wind. This sort of work isn't something you can pop down to the local Job Centre and pick up a handful of mechanics for, so that naturally required that switchover be phased so as to allow all the owrk to be done by the number of qualified people available.