Location | Freetown, Sierra Leone |
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Coordinates | 8°26′58″N 13°13′28″W / 8.44944°N 13.22444°W |
Built | 1978 |
The Leicester Peak transmitting station is a broadcast transmitting station and communications relay station located near Freetown, Sierra Leone. The site is owned by the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation the country's state broadcaster. It is now the primary (for SLBC) transmitting station providing broadcast services for the Western Area of Sierra Leone. Previously the SLBC operated a shortwave transmitting station in Waterloo and a shortwave/mediumwave station in Goderich.
The Leicester Peak site is located on top of the mountain of the same name which is 564m above sea level. The closest settlement is Leicester village to the south-west of the mountain. Because of its height, coverage extends as far as Makeni and Bo to the east. Signals can be received in Conakry in neighboring Guinea.
Apart from the SLBC's own services, the site is leased to other broadcast stations and operators of communications systems such as the state run Sierratel, mobile telephone operators and Internet Service Providers.
The site was originally constructed by the British Marconi company. At that time it provided a new VHF colour television service, replacing the original monochrome service which launched in 1963. An access road was built from the Regent Road near Leicester village. The building also included its own power generating room since there was no public supply on the mountain at that time. A Francis & Lewis self-supporting triangular tower was used for the antenna systems. The site was inaugurated by President Siaka Stevens on the 22nd February 1978.
The station was never directly attacked by rebels during the countries civil war which started in the early 1990s. However as a result of the conflict, the condition of the site deteriorated. Because of a misunderstanding the Nigerian air-force attacked the site, believing it to be under rebel control. Damage was limited to one of the upper legs of the transmission tower which was hit by a shell.
By the end of the war the VHF television service had been replaced with a lower power UHF transmitter. A low power FM transmitter was also installed for the radio service. However, the site was in very poor condition at this time. Meanwhile, Radio France International had installed a transmitter to cover Conakry with a highly directional antenna system. Even with Sierra Leones war, RFI found it easier to operate there than in Guinea.