Help Receiving TV and Radio

The BBC Reception Advice service is here to give advice and guidance on receiving BBC Television and Radio services. The information on this website will help you determine if you own equipment or aerial is the cause of the problem. 

Reception problems are normally the responsibility of either the householder or the broadcaster to overcome, depending on where the problem lies. Common causes of reception problems include: 

• Equipment or installation faults
• Trees or buildings blocking reception
• Signals being reflected from buildings, structures or hills
• Weather-related problems
• Transmitter work or faults

If the problem has been continuous for some time, and especially if it is not affecting neighbours using their own aerials, it is likely to be a reception problem and this website is here to help. 

If the problem occurs intermittently but reception is otherwise good, and it affects your neighbours’ reception at the same time in the same way, it is more likely to be interference.

Any interference problems are handled by our sister service, the Radio and Television Investigation Service (RTIS) this service gives assistance and guidance on issues of external interference to all UK based television and radio services.