Just in case you've been hiding under a rock today, the KATV-Channel 7 tower at Redfield collapsed today, around 12:45. An Arkansas broadcasting landmark - gone in less than 15 seconds. Sad. I drove past it on I-530 Wednesday going to LR. I went down toward Sheridan this morning, about 2 1/2 hours before the incident. I remember looking at it in the distance. Now, I kinda wish that I had went thru Pine Bluff again.
-
Get involved.
We want your input!
Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.
After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.
After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/
Thanks in advance and have fun!
RadioDiscussions Administrators
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
KATV-Channel 7 tower collapses
- Thread starter wpiv926
- Start date
Just heard about that here in Dallas. I've made the drive from Hot Springs just to take a look at that tower when I was growing up in AR. That was & still is the tallest tower I've ever seen. Glad I took some pictures of it while it was there. I wonder if KATV/KETS will wind up on Chenal Mountain with the others or over on the Clear Channel tower across the freeway. KETS already has their digital signal there.
Hopefully it will be rebuilt but guess it won't be the same. Would likely be silver with strobes instead of the old familiar red/white with red lights. You could spot that bad boy as soon as you took off from LR airport going to Dallas.
Hopefully it will be rebuilt but guess it won't be the same. Would likely be silver with strobes instead of the old familiar red/white with red lights. You could spot that bad boy as soon as you took off from LR airport going to Dallas.
I leave my TV on Channel 7, and I came home about 12:45 to grab my laundry to take to the cleaners... I had gone to the back room to get my clothes and heard the loudest, most God-awful static and hiss... It was the loudest noise that could have ever come out of a television and it was just at moderate volume.
I never could have imagined that it was the tower coming down. I just figured the phone lines were lighting up over there because the soaps were getting interrupted.
Now here is a radio question... Given the fact that KETS was on that tower as well... will there be a problem for those of us who recieve our EAS alerts by monitoring AETN?
I never could have imagined that it was the tower coming down. I just figured the phone lines were lighting up over there because the soaps were getting interrupted.
Now here is a radio question... Given the fact that KETS was on that tower as well... will there be a problem for those of us who recieve our EAS alerts by monitoring AETN?
One wonders if these stations will ever return as full-power analogs. Remember, analog 2 and analog 7 will be shut down, in any event, on February 17, 2009.
KETS still has its not-so-full power digital transmitter on-air on channel 5 from a different location. Will they bother to go to the time, trouble, and expense of constructing another robust analog plant? Still, the AETN website says, "[f]or the people of Central Arkansas who watch AETN on KETS 2 analog, we are taking steps to restore our analog broadcast signal. This could take several days." I am sure "several days" is optimistic, at best.
KATV is a different, but also interesting question. KATV's digital was full power on channel 22, where it would stay. Nice signal, too; it made it into Memphis a time or two since its recent upgrade to full power. Will KATV bother with 7, or just rebuild the DTV on 22?
All this is a cost benefit question, with insurance issues. We'll have to see how it goes.
DE
http://applezombies.wordpress.com/
KETS still has its not-so-full power digital transmitter on-air on channel 5 from a different location. Will they bother to go to the time, trouble, and expense of constructing another robust analog plant? Still, the AETN website says, "[f]or the people of Central Arkansas who watch AETN on KETS 2 analog, we are taking steps to restore our analog broadcast signal. This could take several days." I am sure "several days" is optimistic, at best.
KATV is a different, but also interesting question. KATV's digital was full power on channel 22, where it would stay. Nice signal, too; it made it into Memphis a time or two since its recent upgrade to full power. Will KATV bother with 7, or just rebuild the DTV on 22?
All this is a cost benefit question, with insurance issues. We'll have to see how it goes.
DE
http://applezombies.wordpress.com/
DeadElvis said:One wonders if these stations will ever return as full-power analogs. Remember, analog 2 and analog 7 will be shut down, in any event, on February 17, 2009.
KETS still has its not-so-full power digital transmitter on-air on channel 5 from a different location. Will they bother to go to the time, trouble, and expense of constructing another robust analog plant? Still, the AETN website says, "[f]or the people of Central Arkansas who watch AETN on KETS 2 analog, we are taking steps to restore our analog broadcast signal. This could take several days." I am sure "several days" is optimistic, at best.
KATV is a different, but also interesting question. KATV's digital was full power on channel 22, where it would stay. Nice signal, too; it made it into Memphis a time or two since its recent upgrade to full power. Will KATV bother with 7, or just rebuild the DTV on 22?
All this is a cost benefit question, with insurance issues. We'll have to see how it goes.
DE
http://applezombies.wordpress.com/
It might make some sense to build a channel 7 analog plant with a dual-mode transmitter that can be converted to digital on Transition Day. (because KETS is going to end up on DTV channel 7) If built from the beginning with the understanding it will end up DTV I don't think the dual-mode thing will be very expensive - almost all of it will be reused for the channel 7 DTV.
I suppose KETS's solution is to hang a small antenna on a tower somewhere in town & run a small transmitter (500w ERP or thereabouts) to cover Little Rock proper. That would likely cover a significant majority of the lost OTA viewership. Add to that those who have cable/satellite; those who can already get the DTV; and those who can get one of the other AETN analog transmitters and I'd imagine there wouldn't be many left without AETN service.
radiosaur said:If I remember correctly, isn't there another 2000 footer nearby....Channel 38 maybe and 94.9? If there is load capacity, that might be a temporary site...
Yup. It doesn't seem as if they were that far apart (though, I have never seen them, myself). The 38 tower is listed as being nearly as tall as 7's tower was.
38 is licensed to Pine Bluff, as KATV was back at sign-on. That's why, of course, Channel 7 had its tower where it was, and, presumably, why 38 is in Redfield. 94.9 is still on the 38 tower; again, a remnant of it being licensed to Pine Bluff until they found a more convenient city of license.
The good news, of course, is that no one got seriously hurt. When these things fall, it tends to be when folks are working on them. That was the case, as some may recall, when one of the big towers outside Jackson, MS came down a few years ago.
DE
Nope, the only signals from the KATV tower were Channels 2 and 7 analog and Channel 7s' digital as well. Now, KIPR-92.3 FM still broadcasts from the original KATV tower located in nearby Jefferson. Here's a few more interesting tidbits:
a. KATV wasn't the only over 2000 foot tower in the state, but obviously was the best known. KTVE-Channel 10 El Dorado/Monroe, LA has its' tower just north of Huttig, AR, in the extreme southern part of the state, only about 2 miles from the LA line. The tower is located on a lightly traveled state highway, and is unpainted, using strobes. It is nowhere near as visible as the KATV tower was, which was painted, used red lights and was located right beside a major Interstate. FCC documents show the KTVE tower as being slightly higher than KATV.
b. KETS-Channel 2s' digital signal ended up across the highway on the KASN tower. I wonder if engineers had determined that the KATV tower was too loaded to handle it. The KASN digital signal also comes from its' analog tower, in addition to 94.9.
c. KATV and KETS, the flagship station of the Arkansas Educational Television network, enjoyed a long, but fairly unknown relationship. I remember seeing Dale Nicholson a few years back talking about how, in the 60's, state and federal regulators weren't going to allow a structure of over 2000 feet to be built so close to the LR Airport. The way the deal got approved was that KATV agreed to allow KETS free space on the tower. At the time the feds were trying to helpout the fledgling Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), so after that deal was done, construction was allowed to proceed.
a. KATV wasn't the only over 2000 foot tower in the state, but obviously was the best known. KTVE-Channel 10 El Dorado/Monroe, LA has its' tower just north of Huttig, AR, in the extreme southern part of the state, only about 2 miles from the LA line. The tower is located on a lightly traveled state highway, and is unpainted, using strobes. It is nowhere near as visible as the KATV tower was, which was painted, used red lights and was located right beside a major Interstate. FCC documents show the KTVE tower as being slightly higher than KATV.
b. KETS-Channel 2s' digital signal ended up across the highway on the KASN tower. I wonder if engineers had determined that the KATV tower was too loaded to handle it. The KASN digital signal also comes from its' analog tower, in addition to 94.9.
c. KATV and KETS, the flagship station of the Arkansas Educational Television network, enjoyed a long, but fairly unknown relationship. I remember seeing Dale Nicholson a few years back talking about how, in the 60's, state and federal regulators weren't going to allow a structure of over 2000 feet to be built so close to the LR Airport. The way the deal got approved was that KATV agreed to allow KETS free space on the tower. At the time the feds were trying to helpout the fledgling Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), so after that deal was done, construction was allowed to proceed.
A
artmorris
Guest
I was notified of the KATV collapse by an email from old friend John Wellenberger (Wellington, Wells et.al) also a KOTN alum.
I have been bummed out about it all day. I remember when it was built. I remember the special ceremonial program they had when it was officially commissioned.
Jeez, that seems like an eternity ago. I was, what, 12-years old at the time?
One of my contract stations in Joplin, MO had a 300-foot tower go down a couple of weeks ago, but that was during a historic ice storm.
I'm glad no one was seriously hurt when KATV's went down.
I must admit, it's like learning an old friend has passed away.
Art Morris
www.artmorris.com
I have been bummed out about it all day. I remember when it was built. I remember the special ceremonial program they had when it was officially commissioned.
Jeez, that seems like an eternity ago. I was, what, 12-years old at the time?
One of my contract stations in Joplin, MO had a 300-foot tower go down a couple of weeks ago, but that was during a historic ice storm.
I'm glad no one was seriously hurt when KATV's went down.
I must admit, it's like learning an old friend has passed away.
Art Morris
www.artmorris.com
By the way, the last tower collapse in Arkansas, to the best of my knowledge, was about 4 years ago when the 500 foot Hope Community Cable TV/Prescott Video tower in Hope collapsed. It took about 3 months to rebuild it. It got caught up in a small tornado that was in the vicinity just north of Hope.
I was wondering...
The last super-tower I recall falling, prior to this one, fell in 2004. That tower, in Baldwin Co., AL, held up a handful of Mobile/Pensacola stations. That one, of course, was brought down by Hurricane Ivan, and was not replaced.
Have any other big (1500' or higher) towers fallen since then?
DE
The last super-tower I recall falling, prior to this one, fell in 2004. That tower, in Baldwin Co., AL, held up a handful of Mobile/Pensacola stations. That one, of course, was brought down by Hurricane Ivan, and was not replaced.
Have any other big (1500' or higher) towers fallen since then?
DE
I don't recall the exact dates, but WLBT's tower fell in 2001-2002(?). And KNOE-TV lost a 2000-footer in recent history (within the last 6 or 7 years). As I recall, there was one death involved in the KNOE collapse. (I'm getting old and don't remember stuff like I used to. But at one time I could give Peter a run for his money).
LF
LF
On October 12, 1996, a tower crew accident caused the collapse of a 1535 ft. tall tower in Cedar Hill, TX (just south of Dallas, it's our main antenna farm.) Wind caught a gin pole & it fell, snapping guy wires on the way down. That caused it to fall, killing 3 of the crew.
KXTX 39 & 3 radio stations in the area lashed together facilities for many months. KXTX improvised facilities at the nearby tower of KXAS. The FM stations built on one tower or another.
KXTX 39 & 3 radio stations in the area lashed together facilities for many months. KXTX improvised facilities at the nearby tower of KXAS. The FM stations built on one tower or another.
I guess if you are counting towers that have fallen in ice storms, KLAZ was a victim of the 2001 weather event. It still gets out really well to the south, but the signal was never the same up toward Russellville and in Northwest Arkansas.
Seems like KWOZ in Batesville lost it's tower in an ice storm as well six or seven years ago.
I seriously won't know if I'm almost to Little Rock coming up 65 from SE Arkansas anymore. That was my number one landmark... I can't believe something like this could happen outside of a weather phenomenon.
WPIV thanks for clearing up the EAS thing. We monitor Channel 9 down at Gurdon which is on a rather large stick itself. You can see that one for miles and miles at night.
Seems like KWOZ in Batesville lost it's tower in an ice storm as well six or seven years ago.
I seriously won't know if I'm almost to Little Rock coming up 65 from SE Arkansas anymore. That was my number one landmark... I can't believe something like this could happen outside of a weather phenomenon.
WPIV thanks for clearing up the EAS thing. We monitor Channel 9 down at Gurdon which is on a rather large stick itself. You can see that one for miles and miles at night.
KWOZ lost the top section of it's tower a few years back but they were able to re-stack the section and replace their antenna. I believe that was the same ice event that took down part of the KMJX stick on Shinall (which in turn narrowly missed the guy wires that would have taken down the KLRT stick as well).
As far as landmarks on I-530, there's still the KASN tower that's pretty close geographically but I know it's just not the same. Having been at the KATV site all afternoon on Friday, I can say firsthand that it's a helluva mess-especially the AETN building. When the bottom of the channel 7 antenna hit the ground right behind the AETN site, it dug a hole nearly 4 feet deep. The channel 2 antenna is a pile of junk near the tower base. The falling steel and swinging guy wires tore out a section of the roof and back wall of the AETN building. The ice bridge from the AETN building to the tower base is simply gone while the ice bridge to the KATV building is pretty much intact. All in all the pictures on TV did the damage no justice.
As far as landmarks on I-530, there's still the KASN tower that's pretty close geographically but I know it's just not the same. Having been at the KATV site all afternoon on Friday, I can say firsthand that it's a helluva mess-especially the AETN building. When the bottom of the channel 7 antenna hit the ground right behind the AETN site, it dug a hole nearly 4 feet deep. The channel 2 antenna is a pile of junk near the tower base. The falling steel and swinging guy wires tore out a section of the roof and back wall of the AETN building. The ice bridge from the AETN building to the tower base is simply gone while the ice bridge to the KATV building is pretty much intact. All in all the pictures on TV did the damage no justice.
One wonders if this incident will cause many Arkansas broadcasters to re-check the conditions of their towers. You know that there are probably quite a few out there that are in need of repair and or outright replacement. The KARK/KTHV tower on Shinall, which is owned by KARK by the way, is probably heavily loaded with analog and digital for both on it. These TV broadcasters, once they shut their analogs off next year, ought to move expiditiously to remove the analog antennas, thus giving their towers a break.
wpiv926 said:One wonders if this incident will cause many Arkansas broadcasters to re-check the conditions of their towers. You know that there are probably quite a few out there that are in need of repair and or outright replacement. The KARK/KTHV tower on Shinall, which is owned by KARK by the way, is probably heavily loaded with analog and digital for both on it. These TV broadcasters, once they shut their analogs off next year, ought to move expiditiously to remove the analog antennas, thus giving their towers a break.
THAT is one of the dirty little secrets of corporate ownership. Once the bean counters found they could lease tower space some of them quit listening to the engineers. I would bet there are a LOT of overloaded towers out there.
- Status
- This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.