WCMU Transmitter Building Fire

[Localnewsisdead]

Per their Facebook page:

WCMU’s transmitter building serving northeast Lower Michigan burned Wednesday, February 28. WCML-FM 91.7 and WCML-TV Channel 6, both licensed to the city of Alpena and broadcast from Atlanta, MI, will be off the air indefinitely. We anticipate it may take several months to restore full service to northeast Lower Michigan. Additionally, 103.9FM Harbor Springs is currently off the air, but we expect this signal will be restored in the coming days.

Our commitment to northeast Michigan remains strong. While we work to restore our broadcast services in the region, we will continue to bring you news and information from the northeast Lower Peninsula and all of Michigan. WCMU will remain northeast Lower Michigan's NPR and PBS station.

[ChrisWL1980]

Lightning strike?

[audiophile]

No.

[TC Talks]

That part of the world is seething with criminal conservative prepper types. They don't seem to function in the real world but are likely good and burning down shit. That or an overheated component.

[Ben Zonia]

That part of the world is seething with criminal conservative prepper types. They don't seem to function in the real world but are likely good and burning down shit. That or an overheated component.

As audiophile said, "No".

WPHN 90.5 The Promise is also off the air, from the same complex. Did Left Wing Communist Atheists do it? Where were you, TC Talks?

Did icing on the antenna after the quick freeze and sleet/freezing rain have anything to do with it, audiophile?

Apparently, WCMW-FM 103.9 takes WCML-FM programming off air. WQHN 100.9 apparently has a different method of program delivery. WQHN 100.9 and W259AH 99.7 remain on the air.

The WCML-FM and WCML-TV building used to have someone out there 24/7. The engineers had 4 42 hour continuous shifts, and a place to sleep. If more sites were manned, they might be able to prevent and respond to an emergency like this before total destruction occurs.

I wonder if WCML-FM and WPHN could do an emergency STA triplex with the WFDX 92.5 antenna while the site is rebuilt, if the antenna is broadband enough. The towers are about 12 miles from each other.

[TC Talks]

Manning a transmitter site 24/7? Did they ride to work in horse and buggy?

So an icy antenna can overheat things. That was also my presumption. You may forget, but I employed little weird guys who fixed things that we kept in the room on the back without windows. We had issues like this but our equipment has a simple monitor and alarm.

[Ben Zonia]

Manning a transmitter site 24/7? Did they ride to work in horse and buggy?

So an icy antenna can overheat things. That was also my presumption. You may forget, but I employed little weird guys who fixed things that we kept in the room on the back without windows. We had issues like this but our equipment has a simple monitor and alarm.

At the very least, they need more monitoring to react quickly before disaster strikes.

BTW, don't you work for a competing public station? Your name doesn't happen to be Elrod, does it?

https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archi ... -06-14.pdf

[ftballfan]

I'm a little surprised that WCMW-FM doesn't either have a direct link to WCMU Radio HQ.

How does WCMZ in the Sault pick up CMU Public Radio programming? Also, does WCMV or WCMZ have a usable signal in Harbor Springs?

[Ben Zonia]

I'm a little surprised that WCMW-FM doesn't either have a direct link to WCMU Radio HQ.

How does WCMZ in the Sault pick up CMU Public Radio programming? Also, does WCMV or WCMZ have a usable signal in Harbor Springs?

It sounds like all the off air links from WCML-FM and WPHN have now been changed to internet feeds.

Looking at the VFR MAP for the area, the only tower that looks suitable for months long STAs is the WFDX tower. The 500 foot State owned tower people are difficult to get agreements with, and aren't really tall enough anyway. I don't know what the WFDX tower will support for any additional antennas. I suppose you could put a side mounted STA TV transmitting antenna for WCML-TV 6/RF 24 if the tower would support it. Some towers are in bad shape. One I know of could only support one more bay for an FM translator, and had to go directional to protect a third adjacent, rather than limiting downward ground level radiation with multiple bays and being nondirectional. Many translators and even LPFMs need 4-6 bays to limit ground level interference to second and third adjacent FM stations.

Neither of those WCMU TV satellites serve the low lying areas near Little Traverse Bay.

[MWmetalhead]

If the transmitter building burned and the tower itself is fine, can't temporary equipment be hauled on site to at least get the radio station back on the air (at reduced power)?

I seem to recall 106.9 WOOD-FM returning to the air in such a fashion after its transmitter shack was set ablaze by a lightning strike.

[Ben Zonia]

Probably depends on the temperature of the fire. If the coating was just burned off, the tower is probably OK, it just would need to be recoated. A structural engineer might need to look at it.

[EdWalker]

Lightning strike?

The best guess from those who were on site the day of the fire points to the generator, which may have been on due to high winds taking out the utility power. This certainly isn't the first time a generator has taken out a facility.

[TC Talks]

Lightning strike?

The best guess from those who were on site the day of the fire points to the generator, which may have been on due to high winds taking out the utility power. This certainly isn't the first time a generator has taken out a facility.

Why wouldn't the generator be located 4 - 6 feet away like with most any facility?

[Ben Zonia]

WPHN 90.5 is back on the air with an STA. The signal seems weaker, but is still coming in adequately 35 miles away. Don't know the details of the STA, location, ERP, or HAAT.

[Graham Wellington]

Maybe CMU should rent WFDX:

https://radioinsight.com/headlines/2659 ... in-hawaii/
(scroll down)