WWVA TOWERS KNOCKED DOWN

WWVA ^ | 08/05/10 | WWVA

[raccoonradio]

(all caps via orig source) DURING THE SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON, THE 3 TOWERS IN ST. CLAIRSVILLE, OH USED TO BROADCAST THE SIGNAL FOR NEWS RADIO 1170-WWVA, WERE LITERALLY KNOCKED OVER BY THE STRONG WINDS AND CURRENTLY ARE ON THE GROUND, AND THE STATION IS OFF THE AIR. OUR CREWS ARE WORKING TO GET SOME TEMPORARY TOWERS IN PLACE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, BUT UNTIL THEN…STARTING AT 6AM THURSDAY MORNING 8/5/10, ALL OF WWVA’S PROGRAMMING CAN BE HEARD ON AM 1400…WBBD, WHERE WE WILL BRING YOU FURTHER UPDATES.

[raccoonradio]

Powerful station, off air.

Acc. to their site they would normally be running: Bloomdaddy, Beck, Limbaugh, Hannity, Savage, Coast to Coast, etc.

a comment on radio-info.com: "WBBD/1400, in fact, will assume the WWVA identity and format until a temporary tower array can be built. Those three towers date back to the late 1930s and are even considered a tourist attraction in St. Clairsville, Ohio. Rebuilding a tower is not as easy as one would think. The most extreme case of which was KFI's tower in Los Angeles, which was destroyed in 2004 and took two years to replace (they had to operate from an auxiliary tower at 10,000 watts instead of their normal 50kW signal during that time).

"I don't know if this means that the paid religious programming, will also move to WBBD or not. WBBD is an affiliate of the Pirates, and those dollar-a-hollar preachers purchased time to be on the 50 kW signal, not on a tiny 1kW signal. It may not be a shock to see refund checks issued and contracts canceled because of this. And if the situation is long-term, could WWVA have to get out of the paid religion practice entirely?"

[ReneeLynn]

I was driving in some of that. The area got really lambasted.

Drat! I usually listen to Rush on 1170 because it’s signal is not delayed like 104.7 in Pittsburgh and when the stupid Pirates are on the radio. Hope they get it back up and working soon.

[Kimberly GG]

Yep...winds have been awful. Two tractor trailers were blown over on Rt 23 just north of Columbus.

[chuck_the_tv_out]

What do the pirates do?

[Las Vegas Dave]

When I was a youth in the Ohio Vally, WWVA was all country (WWVA Jamboree days).

I didn’t know there was a storm there recentely, my brother and sister-in-law didn’t tell me, and they live close to St.Clairsville.

[NVDave]

Gonna take a while to replace a 3-tower phased array like that.

[ReneeLynn]

They lose. And they take Rush off the air sometimes to broadcast Pirate games!

[ReneeLynn]

It’s talk radio now. We had the storms yesterday. And some more today, but yesterday was bad.

[firebrand]

We could hear WWVA at night in Newark, New Jersey.

[Tainan]

I went to the first few “Jamboree in the Hills” over there. Pretty scenic place. WWVA was the originator of that music festival. Been to a few “Wheeling Jamborees” also. Another WWVA sponsored event.

[Thrownatbirth]

WWVA 1170 is a 50 kilowatt AM clear-channel station and can be heard all over the country at night. AM DXers worldwide also report WWVA reception regularly.

[Thrownatbirth]

Dayum! All three on the ground

[chuck_the_tv_out]

Right so they jam the Rush Limbaugh show?

[Thermalseeker]

Gonna take a while to replace a 3-tower phased array like that.

Just depends on how much money they want to spend. I know several tower crews that could have 3 guyed towers stacked inside of a week. Doesn't take that long if your crew really knows what they are doing, but if you hire a crew that really knows what they're doing it ain't gonna be cheap.....

[DeaconBenjamin]

What a coincidence! The Texarkana stations which carry Beck, Limbaugh, and Hannity had their tower destroyed by lightning last week.

[ml/nj]

WWVA used to come in loud and clear in the evening on Long Island (NY) when I was growing up. I would listen to Bob Prince call the Pirate games whenever the Pirates were playing the Giants.

ML/NJ

[raccoonradio]

They may be back on later today but prob not at same power...?

WWVA:
>>OUR ENGINEERING CREWS ARE ON SITE NOW WORKING TO GET SOME TEMPORARY TOWERS IN PLACE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE….HOPEFULLY THE 1170 SIGNAL WILL BE BACK ON THE AIR SOMETIME THIS AFTERNOON.

[Nowhere Man]

I was driving in some of that. The area got really lambasted.

Me too, I deliver auto parts to locations in Western Allegheny and Eastern Beaver Counties. Sometimes I go out further. I listen to talk radio a lot.

Drat! I usually listen to Rush on 1170 because it’s signal is not delayed like 104.7 in Pittsburgh and when the stupid Pirates are on the radio. Hope they get it back up and working soon.

You too, huh? I think WPGB, 104.7 Mc, made a mistake by taking on the %^&* Pirates. I'd say let KDKA-AM or KDKA-FM have them. I see you're in my area. If you want Rush, try 570 WKBN out of Youngstown, OH. If you want Hannity, try 1200 kc out of Newcastle, PA. Mike Savage, you're SOL, I'm afraid but I do sometimes hear Mark Levin on 1200. 1170 plays the first hour of Glenn Beck but so does 1200.

[Nowhere Man]

It’s a shame to lost those towers, they were the old Blawknox types, they were like a diamond shape. Blawknox was a steel firm here in Pittsburgh. As to the religious programming, I know WWCR carries them too on shortwave, usually on 3215 kc in the 90 meter band.