Posted by Rene Tetro on November 02, 2009 at 16:38:54:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Message posted on WFUV web site: WFUV Off the Air 11/5-18 posted by Barry on November 02, 2009 at 13:26:18:
I'm kind of surprised that they don't have an off site aux. The smart thing to do would be to install a 2-3 kw aux at their upper Manhattan booster site, so that in the rare event that the main site goes down, they can stay on. The FCC would probably easily approve licensing such a transmitter, as long as they keep the power within their normal contours.
I think the wisdom of off-site aux transmitters was proven after 9/11. After the 1993 WTC bombing, at WYNY (103.5 version) we installed a 1KW transmitter at the studio site at 1700 Broadway with an antenna that gave us 1.9kw ERP @ 540 feet HAAT. It came in handy that next summer when they painted the antenna mast at WTC. All TV and radio stations on the mast had to shutdown overnights while the painting took place. At the time there were only a couple of the WTC stations that had off site aux's (ch 2, WYNY, and I believe, possibly, WQCD). The mid-town aux site was good for about 30 miles, giving us decent coverage of the Metro.