Up to half a million people were faced with blank TV screens on Thursday after a fire broke out at the Oxford television mast cutting of all channels.
TV’s started flickering back to life from 8.40pm and a full service resumed at 9.30pm as the reserve antenna was called into action after a seven-hour blackout.
However, communications infrastructure company Arqiva said some users will remain cut off from some digital channels in fringe areas until the mast in Beckley is fully repaired, and no date has been set for when full transmission will be resumed.
Arqiva spokesman Bruce Randall said: “We did not get access to the site until after 6pm, so it was an amazing job to have made the switch, which needed to be done before it got dark.
“It is not as easy as flicking a switch. A helicopter had to do a video survey of the mast to check the structural integrity, riggers then had to climb up the mast to inspect the reserve antenna, which is about half way up before deciding to make the switch.
“It was a case of safety first and we didn’t want to rush in and create another problem. We apologise for the incident. However it is important to understand that this was an exceptional incident."
Engineers working on site noticed smoke rising from the top of the mast and alerted fire crews who were on scene by 2.30pm.
Shortly after, 420,000 homes experienced a blackout after automatic safety procedures shut the signal off.
Mr Randall said that a preliminary examination showed little damage. However, engineers were still assessing the damage on Friday, and do not know when the main antennae will be back in use.
The Arqiva spokesman said the reserve antenna currently in use did not have the same range as the main mast, and some residents would be receiving a weaker signal while it is in use, which could mean a poorer quality picture, flickering and in some cases lost digital channels.
The Beckley mast provides analogue and digital television over a 30-mile radius, including Swindon, Cirencester and Wantage.
Throughout the year there has been constant work preparing the mast for the digital switchover in March 2011.
