This is not an Atlanta story, but a wildfire is raging near Mount Wilson, where virtually all L.A. TV and FM stations have their transmission facilities. The fire is headed toward the facilities, and from what I read, it's a matter of when and not if the fire will cause widespread destruction.
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Fire Set to Destroy Virtually All L.A. FM & TV
- Thread starter RoddyFreeman
- Start date
Some perspective here, please:
The fire is a huge one, and it's close to Mount Wilson, but it didn't get all the way up to the towers overnight, and that gives fire crews a chance today to create more fire breaks and drop more fire retardant from aerial tankers.
Even if the fire does get all the way to the top of the hill where the towers are, it would take one enormous blaze to actually melt everything up there. Most of the towers on the mountain are self-supporters, so there are no guy wires to melt, usually the first point of failure for towers that are affected by fire. As long as the towers survive, it's relatively easy - comparatively speaking, of course - to put up new transmission line and bring up replacement transmitters.
Most of the FM stations on Mount Wilson have auxiliary transmitting facilities at other locations in the market. They might not have the commanding signals they have now, but they'll remain on the air for most of their listeners if the worst happens.
Cable/satellite penetration in the LA market is about 86% - so most viewers wouldn't have any disruption if the Wilson TV sites are lost.
But again, the reality...at least as of noontime Monday out west...is that things have taken a decided turn for the better out there. All the engineers are down from the mountain and safe, as are the staffers of the adjacent Mount Wilson Observatory. There's not much to be done now but to wait and see how this all plays out - and of course to hope for the best.
The fire is a huge one, and it's close to Mount Wilson, but it didn't get all the way up to the towers overnight, and that gives fire crews a chance today to create more fire breaks and drop more fire retardant from aerial tankers.
Even if the fire does get all the way to the top of the hill where the towers are, it would take one enormous blaze to actually melt everything up there. Most of the towers on the mountain are self-supporters, so there are no guy wires to melt, usually the first point of failure for towers that are affected by fire. As long as the towers survive, it's relatively easy - comparatively speaking, of course - to put up new transmission line and bring up replacement transmitters.
Most of the FM stations on Mount Wilson have auxiliary transmitting facilities at other locations in the market. They might not have the commanding signals they have now, but they'll remain on the air for most of their listeners if the worst happens.
Cable/satellite penetration in the LA market is about 86% - so most viewers wouldn't have any disruption if the Wilson TV sites are lost.
But again, the reality...at least as of noontime Monday out west...is that things have taken a decided turn for the better out there. All the engineers are down from the mountain and safe, as are the staffers of the adjacent Mount Wilson Observatory. There's not much to be done now but to wait and see how this all plays out - and of course to hope for the best.
There's gonna be a whole lotta dirty transmitters that will need cleaning out. As I understand it, most of the transmitter buildings are cinder block with metal roofs. Even if the fire does reach them, what are the chances of the contents of the building surviving? If it was me, I'd have Andrew on standby for some feedline to replace what gets melted off the towers.
BRENT said:
Right, because the thing that a PD really wants to do while everyone on the staff is working 24/7 to get a buirned down xmtr site back on the air is to flip a station in the process. Format flips are a PITA when everything's working nominally... a whole new Selector library, new scheduling rules, bulk import of the new library, new imaging, billboards and print heralding the change, usually new jocks, and a willingness to take a short-term revenue hit when advertisers bail. So yeah, a burned-out transmitter facility that's going to cost tens of thousands of dollars and hundreds of man-hours to fix seems like the perfect time to do that.
BRENT said:
What a horrible thing to say to wish for destruction by fire on any object just to achieve your own personal gains. Would you burn down your own business just so you can start ovewr or collect on the insurance?
That right there is exactly whats wrong with many people in this country, Selfshness heightened by lack of compassion.
as of Thursday morning, some personnel are being allowed to return to Mt. Wilson:
the firefighters have successfully diverted the flames away from the towers, and the Mt. Wilson Observatory.
CBS moved their FMs to back-up transmitter sites, but everyone else remained on from the Wilson site.
with the massive scale of these fires...
nothing short of heroic results for the firefghters (and they're saving the vast majoity of homes too)
the firefighters have successfully diverted the flames away from the towers, and the Mt. Wilson Observatory.
CBS moved their FMs to back-up transmitter sites, but everyone else remained on from the Wilson site.
with the massive scale of these fires...
nothing short of heroic results for the firefghters (and they're saving the vast majoity of homes too)
Thanks for letting us know, Chris. That's great news. And despite Scott's post, I did not start this thread as an audition for a writer's position at the National Enquirer. It reflected what I had been reading that morning.
RoddyFreeman said:
I've been getting all my updates here:
http://www.chara.gsu.edu/CHARA/fire.php
When you posted, the situation was very volatile, and it did look like
the fires could have taken out the Wilson sites.
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