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TV signal's gone with the wind
 
The giant 140-turbine Whitlee windfarm on Eaglesham Moor has sparked frustrating TV reception problems for Alex Getty, from Wellpark, and several other householders in the East End of Glasgow
The giant 140-turbine Whitlee windfarm on Eaglesham Moor has sparked frustrating TV reception problems for Alex Getty, from Wellpark, and several other householders in the East End of Glasgow
 
Alexander Fleming said his TV picture keeps breaking up
Alexander Fleming said his TV picture keeps breaking up
 

by Graeme Murray

TV viewers are furious a new £150million wind farm is blowing away their television reception and they can't even watch the tennis.

Householders in the East End of Glasgow have been forced to turn off their TVs because they can't see their favourite programmes or watch the action from Wimbledon.

Several engineers have visited retired caretaker Alexander Fleming's home in Wellpark, Dennistoun, after he complained his TV picture and sound quality was so bad.

But experts have been unable to sort the problem which they've blamed on the giant Whitlee windfarm on Eaglesham Moor which is causing prob-lems for the Darvel transmitter.

Alexander, 60, and his wife Delia, 57, had their aerial checked out which was found to be working perfectly.

Mr Fleming said: "I've been having a lot of trouble with my TV reception. It cuts out regularly, the sound goes and you can't hear what they are saying and the picture breaks-up.

"Lots of other people in the area who are served by the Darvel transmitter are having the same problem. I had an engineer out and he said it was the windfarms that are causing it. It's got so bad you can't watch TV. My wife just turns it off and goes to bed early."

The couple are now resorting to getting a £95 Sky connection which they hope will solve the problem.

Their neighbour in Dunchattan Street, Alex Getty, 44, has the same complaint with his TV. He said: "It's very annoying especially when you are watching the tennis and it goes off for a few seconds and you miss a good shot."

Most of Glasgow is served by the Black Hill transmitter, but a small number of homes in parts of the city use the Darvel transmitter in East Ayrshire.

It means the signal must pass over the 140-turbine Whitlee windfarm to reach Glasgow residents.

The £150million windfarm, where the first turbines were put up in November 2007, will eventually cover 21 square miles and provide enough power for 200,000 homes.

Sam Berry, of engineers SCI Communication Services in Ibrox, said: "There have been problems with the transmitter because of the windfarm.

"Most of Darvel serves Ayrshire, but there's a small amount of homes in Glasgow which have been affected. If it's a transmission problem there's not a lot we can do about it."

A spokeswoman for ScottishPower Renewables, which operates the wind farm, said: "We are looking into a handful of queries regarding television reception. A small number of inquiries have already been dealt with, all with a positive outcome.

"Our specialist contractors will investigate all inquiries and, where appropriate, will rectify them as soon as possible.

"Communication with the local community has always been an important part of the Whitlee project and we remain committed to this approach."

Publication date 03/07/08

Posted by: Polly Bag, Glasgow on 11:35am Thu 3 Jul 08
Is the grammar bammy here or what...

TV signal's gone with the wind


is the signal a person it belongs to the signal.

oh and I laughed at the typo...

causing prob-lems for the Darvel transmitter



I've never hyphenated 'problems' before!

I must say I had a stint of stifled laughter at the quotes below...
"It's very annoying especially when you are watching the tennis and it goes off for a few seconds and you miss a good shot."


erm, get a life?

more typos oh dear

the picture breaks-up.
two words one hyphen

It's got so bad you can't watch TV. My wife just turns it off and goes to bed early."


haha she is dropping hints, get tv off and come to bed dear!

The couple are now resorting to getting a £95 Sky connection which they hope will solve the problem.


Well how could they not have done that sooner, instead of wasting a page on evening times, I ask you!

Enjoy your telly!


Posted by: Polly Bag, Glasgow on 11:38am Thu 3 Jul 08
Alexander Fleming, pictured with rmeote control above, must say, you look great for your age, must be cos you invented penicillin .
Posted by: Polly Bag, Glasgow on 11:39am Thu 3 Jul 08
'remote' was in anagram form to help with bored readers
Posted by: Meep, Shawlands on 11:56am Thu 3 Jul 08
The article isnt clear on what TV signal is breaking up. Is the wind farm affecting the digital/satellite signal? And if so how? If its just the analogue signal, the comapnies wont do anything about it since the analogue signal is getting switched off nationally in 2012.
Posted by: Polly Bag, Glasgow on 12:30pm Thu 3 Jul 08
meep ; probably channel 4,watching bigbrother, trying to pretend it was tennis to make it soudn more upmarket ,lol I am glad you done an anagram as well, I have now installed a spellchecker into my page funny how all the mistakes are underlined in red. oh need to go, my programme is just starting!
Posted by: Polly Bag, Glasgow on 12:32pm Thu 3 Jul 08
how did I miss that it did highlight it in red as well am sad now , tv is unhealthy anyway, they should all go and have a shag instead!
Posted by: ahmed yellaf, pollokshields on 1:47pm Thu 3 Jul 08
that man in big red jumpar haha i help him with sockit;he look like very confooses maybe telivis not pluged in at back ,jus need chooned as he test-padge onn an mibe he be eestends ansarr to Danny Dyer haha DyerEar verry over muches lafs wen reed 1 mower tyme
Posted by: ahmed yellaf, pollokshields on 1:50pm Thu 3 Jul 08
i sorrys not mean offens to dan man just pic maike lok like bigdaftie and all tyme is cozs big wind blowen at a farm funnie anemal to groww stranj farmarr
Posted by: gggrrrrrrr, Glasgow on 3:00pm Thu 3 Jul 08
You couldn,t make this up, if my team has a bad start to the season i'll be blaming the windfarm.
Posted by: John Kebab, Glasgow on 3:30pm Thu 3 Jul 08
Sky TV will solve their problems, unless a UFO gets blown off course by the wind farm and crashes into the statalight dish....
Posted by: sydneys resident stalker, home on 3:42pm Thu 3 Jul 08
hello, I smell bad ,theres a bird jobbie on ma heid , I also have dandruff, and I am like a windfarm after a hot vindaloo or a john kebab, so all I am in to ask is, oi ya b*stards where do I complain for having too much farts? as it knocks ma telly sideways when ah let off?cheers dudes
Posted by: People Power, Glasgow on 10:53pm Thu 3 Jul 08

Interesting theory if this wind farm really is the aggravating factor in why some people are having a disruption to their picture, sound or both.....

I have a friend in Strathaven who is also having regular disruption to their picture & sound. So, is this problem potentially caused by Eaglesham Moors wind farm, far wider spread than first thought ?

Or is this all just a load of hot air, with no substance, or proof the two areas wind farm, new, unliked, contravertial and the much needed Darvel TV Transmitter could even conflict with each other.
Posted by: John Kebab, Glasgow on 9:47am Fri 4 Jul 08
so all I am in to ask is, oi ya b*stards where do I complain for having too much farts?


Im not aware of any official bodies that you can complain to, but if you find out, let me know.

In the meantime, your doctor should be able to help, or give you a cork.
Posted by: celtic4, United States on 10:16pm Sat 5 Jul 08
In the states, the analog signal is going to switched off next January! ouch. Many people are going to be without tv at all unless they can afford to connect to cable. I cannot.
Posted by: Scottish Rose, U.S.A. on 1:10am Sun 6 Jul 08
celtic4...shame,sham
e. Last weekend you said you didn't OWN a T.V. Your going to go to hell for telling those "pork Pies" :( The terrorist attack on Glasgow airport, you said you didn't see it, remember? because you dont have a telly. The attack wasn't just on CNN either, it was also on local news.
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