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Albany - TV towers come down

I am sorry to see that the WALB and the WFXL towers have fallen. Doesn't it make sense to rebuild them in a location that is farther away from Tallahassee's FOX affiliate, WTLH and NBC affiliate, WTWC?
 
It was my understanding that WALB chose that site to provide coverage into the Valdosta market. For many years, WCTV and WALB battled over Valdosta which has long been the second largest market in South Georgia. I believe there was also overlap with WTVM Channel 9 in Columbus back in the days when WALB also aired some ABC programming.The market may have shifted so now WALB and co-owned WFXL can chose a site that works best in 2006. Perhaps they will go the route of the Tallahassee market and put up a 2000 ft stick. Wonder if some Class C FMs in that area could share space on that type tower.
 
It'd be nice if they would put up a shared 2000 ft. tower now. Richland recently built another 1800 ft. tower in Cusseta, so I assume the economics would work out. Any chance that WALB and WFXL would be able to increase their coverage that way?
 
Note that WFXL was recently sold but the transaction hasn't closed. It seems that the loss of the Fox 31 tower would at least have a financial impact on it's sale.I wonder if WSWG - 44 might try to get in on a new combined tall tower with WALB and WFXL. The new owners of WSWG recently announced an affiliation with CBS and MyNet and that they intend to increase power and coverage of the Albany market, but haven't given any details of their plans. It would certainly make it more economical for 3 parties to be involved in paying for the construction and/or leasing of a new tall tower. Heck, while there at it, bring in WSST, put ABC on it and give Albany a full deck of network affiliates.
 
that is a good idea. why not a full deck.WALB 10-NBCWFXL 31-FOXWSWG 44-CBSWSST 55-ABC Albany and Valdosta is a big enough market to run with all networks.
 
On the other hand, why spend any money to rebuild Analog facilities at this point? WFXL and WALB are now running analog off of a 300 ft tower in Albany which they claim puts out a good signal for 25 miles... maybe that's good enough? Everyone south of Albany can pick up the Tallahassee analog stations, people to the west can pick up Dothan and/or Columbus and people to the north-east can get Macon. Perhaps it's time for Albany to build a big ol' 2000 foot tower for new digital antennas. I believe that's what WSWG already had in mind for their power upgrade with a CBS/MyNet multicast.In the end, not a lot of people would lose coverage from NBC and Fox, they would only lose access to local Albany TV news. That could be solved by simulcasting WALB's news on WSST and WSWG. WSWG probably already has plans for WCTV to produce an Albany newscast (a third newscast for this small market!), but right now I think it would make a lot more financial sense to simulcast the competition's 800 pound gorilla. Pull everyone together in a form similar to the "United Radio Broadcasters of New Orleans".Did any radio stations use the WALB or WFXL towers?
 
There are quite a few markets smaller than Albany with all four of the major network affiliates.Just to name a few-Billings, Anchorage, Midland/Odessa,Grand Junction,Idaho Falls/Pocatello,Eureka, Butte/Bozeman and Missoula. I have never understood why Albany has had only 2 major network affiliations. I know that for CBS WCTV and for ABC WTVM provide coverage for that area, but they don't provide coverage for a good area of that market-especially east of Albany. I would think that thw WALB and the WFXL towers would better serve the population by locating in an area between Sylvester and Tifton, but close enough to provide city grade coverage to Albany.
 
WSWG-44 (used to be WVAG) thier tower is so weak never reaches Tallahassee or the Florida Big Bend to watch UPN on a UHF channel. I know thier singal is not as strong like WCTV-6 was.
 
Looking at this from the other end, I'm surprised WTWC in Tallahassee never tried to get farther away
from WALB and build a big stick southeast of Tallahassee, maybe near the U.S. 19 - 27 intersection
or farther southeast. There is a big chunk of the Nature Coast between Perry and Chiefland that doesn't have a native NBC affiliate, since Gainesville is without an NBC station.
 
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