Two FM Combiners on Prudential Tower

[wcozBoston]

Is there a reason as to why there are two discrete combiner FM antennas on the Prudential Tower in Boston? The first was built in the 1991 time frame on a new pole for 104.1, 107.9, 100.7 and 106.7. 88.9 could have been a user but moved out to the One Financial Center around the same period. Later, in the 1990s, another combiner antenna was constructed essentially around the pole on a specially designed tower for FM stations 96.9, 105.7 and 92.9. What were the reason or reasons for constructing the second combiner? Couldn't the latter three FMs use the original antenna by adding the necessary combiners, couplers and other hardware? Could the first combiner not manage the additional RF energy from the latter three additional FMs?

 

[Kelly A]

Is there a reason as to why there are two discrete combiner FM antennas on the Prudential Tower in Boston? The first was built in the 1991 time frame on a new pole for 104.1, 107.9, 100.7 and 106.7. 88.9 could have been a user but moved out to the One Financial Center around the same period. Later, in the 1990s, another combiner antenna was constructed essentially around the pole on a specially designed tower for FM stations 96.9, 105.7 and 92.9. What were the reason or reasons for constructing the second combiner? Couldn't the latter three FMs use the original antenna by adding the necessary combiners, couplers and other hardware? Could the first combiner not manage the additional RF energy from the latter three additional FMs?

It could be a business decision. Many times a group of stations, even though competitors, will form an LLC or Chapter S corporation, sharing the tower rent cost for the building space and master antenna. Each station in the LLC pays for their fraction of the master antenna plus installtion, and pay their portion of their combiner. The master antenna likely has a total input power limitation, so something similar happens with another group of stations into a separate master antenna and combiner.