Tenants want Brum TV back

Aug 9 2005 By Poppy Brady, Evening Mail

HUNDREDS of families are still suffering a television news blackout - six months after complaining to builders.

Neighbours virtually in the shadow of the BBC's Mailbox and Central Television can only receive the East Midlands news from places like Skegness, Nottingham and Leicester because reception at the tower block has been blocked by the giant cranes building Beetham Tower, Birmingham's tallest residential building.

Residents in the Holloway Head flats are furious that nothing has been done by developers Laing O'Rourke after bosses met some of the 300 residents affected in February.

"We were told something would be done within ten weeks," said Patrick McCrossan, who chairs Clydesdale Tower residents' group.

"Now, 22 weeks later, we're still stuck with news from Leicester and Skegness - yet we can see our local TV studios from here. We plan major disruption to Beetham Tower if nothing is done."

Mr McCrossan added: "We don't know what we'd do without Evening Mail to keep us up to date with local news."

Landlords Optima Community Association said: "The crane on Beetham Tower is blocking the signal from transmitters at Sutton Coldfield and Lichfield, so this left us with no option but to tune in to Nottingham.

"Once the crane is taken down at the end of September it is up to Beetham Tower to provide a solution. This was a conditions in the planning application."

Coun Carl Rice (Lab, Ladywood) said: "Problems with TV reception are only going to get worse as buildings in the city get higher and higher."

A spokeswoman for Laing O'Rourke said: "We have no comment at this stage."