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Tower atop PSFS Building in Center City

KML0224

KML0224

I visited Philadelphia between Thursday and Saturday afternoon. Once again, I saw the familiar PSFS Building in Center City, and the tower atop the building. I've read that WCAU-TV (NBC) channel 10 once had their transmitter atop the building. My question is: Who is using that transmitter now? I notice the bays which are side-mounted on the tower, likely for an FM station. Here is my picture of it:

 
KML-224 said:
I visited Philadelphia between Thursday and Saturday afternoon. Once again, I saw the familiar PSFS Building in Center City, and the tower atop the building. I've read that WCAU-TV (NBC) channel 10 once had their transmitter atop the building. My question is: Who is using that transmitter now? I notice the bays which are side-mounted on the tower, likely for an FM station. Here is my picture of it:

Click to expand...

Defunct...? Most moved to One Liberity when it was constructed, Comcast Tower isn't available for tower zoning.

On a side note, Cira Centre South is a skyscraper that is approved and likely going to be built, it will stand over 900 ft and be available for radio zoning.

Meaning, MMR, PHI (and KDN) can move their to a higher site a few miles western more (it will be in University City, Philadelphia).

I've been keeping in touch with the Skyscraperpage.net

Anyhow; I think it is considered defunct... Could be a translator, but no major frequency uses it to my knowledge.
 
The large diameter lower portion of the pole (below the 4-bay WMMR aux antenna) is the RCA FM Pylon originally used by WCAU-FM 98.1. Apparently, the slot was covered over after WCAU-FM relocated to Roxborough.

The upper portion originally supported the "batwing" elements of the former WCAU-TV antenna, and that little platform at the base of the pole was probably intended to support a tripod-mounted dish for microwave shots from the TV remote truck.

WXHL's "Collingswood" translator W246AQ also transmits from PSFS, but I'm not sure how those antennas are attached.
 
I figured that somebody had to still be using it for FM.

On an unrelated note...while at the food court inside the Gallery Mall, the FM reception on my Panasonic "Walkman" all but dies. The only stations I get any signal on at all are WMMR-FM 93.3 and WPHI-FM 107.9.

P.S. Thank you for the above information! :)
 
KML-224 said:
I figured that somebody had to still be using it for FM.

On an unrelated note...while at the food court inside the Gallery Mall, the FM reception on my Panasonic "Walkman" all but dies. The only stations I get any signal on at all are WMMR-FM 93.3 and WPHI-FM 107.9.

P.S. Thank you for the above information! :)
Click to expand...

93.3 and 107.9 are both atop Liberty One I think. Which explains why you picked them up. Most other major stations are at Roxborough. Maybe multipath from all the office buildings was killing all the other signals.
 
I'm fairly certain Liberty Place is the two-toned blue tower which opened in 1987. As for the food court, it's in the middle of the first floor of the mall and partially underground. It's similar to a couple of the gates at the Port Authority in New York City. I'll get little or no FM reception and my cell phone is nearly worthless.
 
KML-224 said:
I'm fairly certain Liberty Place is the two-toned blue tower which opened in 1987. As for the food court, it's in the middle of the first floor of the mall and partially underground. It's similar to a couple of the gates at the Port Authority in New York City. I'll get little or no FM reception and my cell phone is nearly worthless.
Click to expand...

I thought it was the 90's that Liberty One was built? Sadly I can't remember for the life of me.
 
WCAUTVNBC10 said:
Liberty One was completed in '86 and Liberty Two in '90
Click to expand...

It was officially opened in 1987 and the first building to exceed the height of the William Penn statue atop City Hall. This was a really big deal in the city, but Liberty One and all the other new tall buildings that followed have really transformed the city's skyline for the better IMHO. Liberty One has the spire and looks much like a modern-day Chrysler Building.
 
Found an article from the Inky on Philly.com and it was from 1987 saying how WMMR was relocating from PSFS to One Liberty Place. I can't believe it was that long ago. I graduated HS in '87 and it was also the 1st semester of my frosh year at college. I guess the new transmitter made it easier for me to tune in the mighty 'MMR in Ewing, NJ at Trenton State. I was a lifeguard at the pool and put a huge wire on the radio that was hooked up to the PA system to listen to WMMR while I was working. It would have been easier to tune to 97.5 'PST but, I didn't want to. A big bldg with a lot of metal holds the Aquatic Center at the place now known as The College of New Jersey and I attached the wire from inside to one of the big metal supports. I guess I had the bldg itself acting as an antenna. I also walked to class listening to The Morning Zoo on my Walkman.

http://articles.philly.com/1987-10-10/news/26217390_1_signal-transmitter-antenna
 
It seems that the proliferation of taller skyscrapers west of Broad has made the PSFS tower less attractive. Does anyone know whether the Comcast Center has had any effect on the Liberty Place One stations?
 
Ah, my last year in Scranton was 95 .

Anyhow, down in University City they've preposed a building called Cira 2 - supposedly going to outdo the Comcast Tower. I've heard they will allow antenna's to be built up there. Potential relocation for MMR?

That's going to really stretch our skyline too, it's just about a few miles from Liberty One.

It'll be on the west side of the schuylkill river

Couldn't MMR be moved there? The antenna would be at around 1000 ft high.
 
aindik said:
The food court in Liberty One isn't underground. It's one floor up from ground level via escalator.
Click to expand...

The food court at Market East, which is where the OP was, is underground.
 
RadioPhillyFan said:
Ah, my last year in Scranton was 95 .

Anyhow, down in University City they've preposed a building called Cira 2 - supposedly going to outdo the Comcast Tower. I've heard they will allow antenna's to be built up there. Potential relocation for MMR?

That's going to really stretch our skyline too, it's just about a few miles from Liberty One.

It'll be on the west side of the schuylkill river

Couldn't MMR be moved there? The antenna would be at around 1000 ft high.
Click to expand...
Cira 2 is going to be that much taller than the original Cira tower?
 
Bill_W said:
RadioPhillyFan said:
Ah, my last year in Scranton was 95 .

Anyhow, down in University City they've preposed a building called Cira 2 - supposedly going to outdo the Comcast Tower. I've heard they will allow antenna's to be built up there. Potential relocation for MMR?

That's going to really stretch our skyline too, it's just about a few miles from Liberty One.

It'll be on the west side of the schuylkill river

Couldn't MMR be moved there? The antenna would be at around 1000 ft high.
Click to expand...
Cira 2 is going to be that much taller than the original Cira tower?
Click to expand...

On SkyscraperPage they say it'd be anywhere from 600-1000

Once Cira Centre South is complete we'll see if Cira 2 happens.

Cira 2 was proposed as an 800 footer; approved for as high as 1000.
Cira Centre South construction was started on, this one will be 350 ft. Which is about the size of a smaller city skyscraper (about 30 ft taller then Baltimore's tallest), still a nice addition, but no use to radio being L1 is almost three times that.


Also was a proposal for a 1500 footer, "ACC Tower" lot was bought and everything. Currently seems to be a dropped project, as wikipedia lists it that. The devoloper made no announcements, so we'll see what happens with that. It'll more then likely be sold, or they'll build something. Doubt the ACC Tower will happen because no company has the money to build that currently. The whole idea of that tower was to push the cities economy on top; it's already the forth strongest. They wanted to "rejuvanate" it. But currently Cira 2 seems like a reality.
 
Just to amend the original subject slightly...

I understand WMMR-FM 93.3 wanting to move from PSFS to Liberty Place when it opened. Here's a new question I thought of: Is there a reason why WMMR-FM isn't transmitting from the Roxborough Antenna Farm? Judging by the FM reception at the food court of Gallery Mall, it sounds like 107.9 FM is in Center city, too, as they were the only other station I got at least some signal on.
 
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