Fundraising efforts are underway for three Los Angeles-based broadcast engineers who have lost their homes to the ongoing California wildfires.

Michael Kealing, manager of engineering at Trinity Broadcasting Network, Charlina “Liz” Johnson, senior studio/transmitter engineer at Univision Communications and Maurice Mischook, a broadcast engineer at iHeartMedia, were impacted by the Eaton Fire. The three engineers and their families have active GoFundMe pages.

As of Thursday afternoon, the two largest fires — the Palisades Fire in Pacific Palisades and the Eaton Fire near Pasadena — remain active. The Eaton Fire alone has destroyed or damaged more than 10,000 structures, in addition to endangering several broadcast facilities. It has burned more than 14,000 acres, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Chapter 47 of the Society of Broadcast Engineers — the society’s L.A. chapter — sent out the following call to action in an email to its members:

“It [has] been an intense few weeks with all the fires raging in our beloved Los Angeles area,” read the email. “Our hearts go out to each and every person affected by these awful events. We are very grateful to all of the firefighters and first responders who have been valiantly battling the fires.

“We’ve heard of three L.A. engineers who unfortunately lost their homes. We will be making a contribution to their GoFundMe pages and encourage our members and friends to do the same. If you are able to help in any way, please consider donating. We thank you for your continued support of Los Angeles radio and television and hope everyone stays safe.”

Matt Anderson, a regional engineer for iHeartMedia Los Angeles and the immediate past chair of SBE Chapter 47, sent an email to Mount Wilson engineers sharing the GoFundMe pages and asking his colleagues to consider donating. Mount Wilson is home to nearly every Class B FM signal serving L.A.; 21 FM signals in all broadcast from there. The transmission site escaped the wrath of the wildfires on Jan. 9.

“SBE47 has donated $300 to each of these individuals in an effort to try and provide a little help in this very difficult time,” wrote Anderson. “These are individuals that work hard day in and out to make broadcast magic happen and need a little help from our community right now.”

This article intially appeared on the website of TV Tech sister brand Radio World.

LOS ANGELES—Home entertainment trade association OTT.X, fundraising platform Pledge and Cineverse said they have launched a campaign to support California wildfire relief in which Cineverse and other OTT.X member companies will donate connected-TV ad inventory to support charities helping those affected.

Cineverse has created a 15-second spot asking audiences to donate to wildfire relief and it is making it available to all OTT.X members to use on their linear FAST channels and AVOD platforms.

CTV advertising reaches some 80 million viewers a month on Cineverse’s network alone Channels currently running the spot include Barney, Comedy Dynamics, Crime Hunters, Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan, Dove Channel, RetroCrush, and The Bob Ross Channel. Additionally, Cineverse has made a corporate donation of $10,000 to the 10 charitable organizations supporting Los Angeles wildfire relief that are initially part of this campaign.

In the spot, viewers across dozens of streaming channels are prompted to text GIVELA to 707070 or scan a QR code to go to https://www.pledge.to/cineverse-LA-fire-support and make a donation.

OTT.X vice chairman and Cineverse president & chief strategy officer Erick Opeka said in a statement: “I am proud to be part of a community of independent streaming video companies who are stepping up through OTT.X to support this recovery. Not only is it important in the broader sense to be helping those impacted by the wildfires, it is also necessary to raise awareness of the many organizations that may not have national brand awareness but are playing a significant role on the ground, helping those who need it most.”

Among the charitable organizations included:

• Altadena Girls is helping young girls regain their sense of self and confidence. Started by Avery, a local teen, whose community was struck by the devastating Eaton Canyon Fire, which led to the destruction of many schools, including her own.
• Animal Wellness Foundation has rescued countless animals affected by the L.A. fires. It urgently needs monetary donations to provide medical care, food and shelter for the growing number of burned and injured animals in its care.
• Baby2Baby has provided more than 2 million emergency supplies to children and families affected by the Los Angeles fires. Help ensures continued support in the difficult weeks and months ahead.
• BLHF: Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation is providing vital mental health services to marginalized communities in areas devastated by the L.A. wildfires, offering a path to healing and stability.
• California Fire Foundation supports families of fallen firefighters and the firefighters themselves. Donations strengthen its work and support California’s firefighters and the communities they protect.
• Chamber of Mothers L.A. Chapter is actively supporting moms & their families suffering from the L.A. wildfires through numerous local on-the-ground initiatives, including the preparation and distribution of postpartum care kits and providing psychological support services to moms and parents about parenting through this crisis.
• GoFundMe Org's Wildfire Relief Fund is currently supporting relief and recovery efforts related to the Palisades, Eaton and Hurst wildfires burning in L.A. County by sending emergency relief grants of $1,000 each to individuals who have lost homes, loved ones and property.
• Los Angeles Food Bank, with partner agencies, is providing vital assistance to those impacted by the recent fires, which have disrupted access to nutritious food. Support helps ensure ongoing relief.
• Pasadena Humane has rescued over 400 animals from the Eaton Fire Emergency. It urgently needs monetary donations to cover medical supplies and resources as it cares for the increasing number of burned and injured animals arriving at its shelter.
• PATH: People Assisting the Homeless has responded swiftly to the devastating fires impacting Los Angeles County, which has affected their unhoused neighbors. Support enables the group to provide critical resources and assistance to those in urgent need.

LOS ANGELES—Comcast NBCUniversal said it will donate $10 million in cash to support Los Angeles-area wildfire disaster relief and recovery efforts.

As part of the effort, Comcast said it will provide $2.5 million in funding as an inaugural corporate partner to the Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles’ ReBUILD L.A. initiative.

In addition, contributions will be made to organizations working on the ground to provide short and long-term assistance including the American Red Cross, Entertainment Industry Foundation SoCal Fire Fund, Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, Los Angeles Regional Food Bank and the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles, among others.

“Our hearts go out to all who have been impacted by these devastating fires, including many in our Comcast NBCUniversal family,” Comcast chairman and CEO Brian Roberts said. “We extend our deep appreciation to the first responders for their tireless and courageous efforts and to our news teams, including NBC4 and KVEA, who are providing vital coverage during this time. We stand ready to support our employees and the broader Los Angeles community as we recover and rebuild from these tragic events.”

The company also said it is providing emergency financial funds, in addition to health and welfare benefits. Those include access to temporary housing and hotels at discounted rates to employees who have been affected by the destruction of the wildfires.

Through the Comcast NBCUniversal Employee Disaster Assistance Fund, the company is providing grants to team members in need as well as making a special company double match for employee donations made to the fund through the Comcast NBCUniversal Matching Gift Program.

LOS ANGELES—Disney's KABC-TV station has restored its broadcast feed after the Eaton Wildfire in Los Angeles knocked it off the air earlier on Friday, Jan. 10.

Several news reports noted that the station's broadcast feed was unavailable on Friday morning. Following up on those reports, the station has confirmed to TV Tech that as of 1:40 p.m. (PT) that the broadcast feed was still down.

The station was, however, cautiously optimistic that it would be restored in the afternoon, which it was.

Earlier in the day, the station’s website noted: “ABC7's over-the-air signal was having issues Friday morning as the Eaton Fire burned near the Mount Wilson Observatory and communication towers in the Angeles National Forest. If you watch ABC7 over the air and you lost our signal, you can still watch us at abc7.com or by downloading the ABC7 Los Angeles app on your mobile phone or smart TV.”

In addition, the station is also available on pay TV operators and streaming services like Hulu + Live TV.

In a statement to the Los Angeles Times, a ABC spokesperson said "The issue was related to the fires," but equipment was not burned.

TV Tech learned that the station was back on the air at 3:30 p.m. PT.

BALTIMORE—Sinclair and Tennis Channel have launched “Sinclair Cares: California Wildfires Relief, a fundraising initiative in partnership with the Salvation Army” to provide disaster relief support across wildfire-stricken greater Los Angeles.

Donations made via Sinclair Cares: California Wildfires Relief will help provide critical aid, shelter, food, fresh water and support for wildfire survivors and first responders in Los Angeles. All funds raised will directly support the Salvation Army’s wildfire disaster-relief efforts, Sinclair reported.

Tennis Channel is owned by Sinclair.

“Our hearts go out to everyone impacted by these devastating wildfires,“ Sinclair Chief Operating Officer and President of Local Media Rob Weisbord said. “Sinclair is committed to supporting the communities we serve, especially in times of need. By partnering with the Salvation Army, we aim to bring hope and critical resources to those affected in Southern California.”

LOS ANGELES—As wildfires continue to rage and spread in greater Los Angeles, the Broadcasters Foundation of America (BFOA) is reminding Southern California broadcasters it is offering emergency grants of assistance to those harmed by the disaster.

“We have set aside Emergency Grant Dollars to provide financial assistance to broadcasters in L.A. who are in need,” BFOA President Tim McCarthy said.

The group also reported that the BFOA Emergency Grant Application Process has been streamlined to deliver financial aid to those in need as speedily as possible, usually within weeks.

Historically, it can take a week or more for victims of disasters like these wildfires to apply because their lives have been upended and they may not have immediate access to the internet, etc. For those broadcasters, the BFOA has set up an emergency phone number at (212) 373-8250. To apply directly online, broadcasters may go to broadcastersfoundation.org.

BOFA reaches across the country to provide an anonymous safety net for radio and television broadcast professionals who find themselves in acute financial need due to an illness, accident or emergency.

LOS ANGELES—Communication towers for TV, radio and government agencies on top of Mount Wilson have thus far been protected by firefighters from the Bobcat fire currently ravaging the Los Angeles County area.

According to multiple reports, the fire came within 500 feet of the historic Mt. Wilson Observatory and what is estimated to be $1 billion worth of transmission towers on Tuesday, but firefighter prevention methods have thus far kept flames from reaching the area.

Had the fires reached the towers, L.A. County Fire Capt. David Dantic said there was a possibility for service disruptions.

The Mt. Wilson Observatory is also a historic site for the development of astronomy, having been originally built in 1904 and at one point serving as the home of the world’s largest telescope.

While the area is protected for the moment, evacuations are taking place for residents in both nearby Arcadia and Sierra Madre.

The Bobcat fire has charred 41,773 acres as of Wednesday morning, while containment is at 3%.

For more information on the Bobcat fire, read stories from the Los Angeles Times and LA’s ABC7. 

WASHINGTON—California is once again being hit with a series of devastating wildfires all across the state, which the latest report from the FCC for Wednesday, Oct. 30, reveals have caused power shutoffs for 173,058 cable and wireline subscribers, causing in many instances the loss of TV, internet and phone services.

This all comes from the Disaster Information Reporting System, which the FCC activated late last week and extended over the weekend. On Wednesday, the FCC added five counties, making DIRS activated in 37 counties.

The latest report released from the FCC has 25 TV stations report that they were operational, while no stations were reporting being out of service at that time. However, there are 13 FM radio stations that reported as out of service; it was 21 on Tuesday. Three FM stations were out of service but programming was being sent to another station (KRSH, KXTS, KSXY). One AM station, KVIP, also reported as being out of service.

The out of service FM stations are K236AW, K238AF, K264AL, K265CV, K270BE, K276EK, KAWJ, KCAI, KHAP, KKDV, KLVY, KNOB and KNVE 

The 32 counties where DIRS was activated are as follows: Alpine, Alameda, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Contra Costa, El Dorado, Glenn, Humboldt, Kern, Lake, Los Angeles, Marin, Mendocino, Napa, Nevada, Orange, Placer, Plumas, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Tehama, Trinity, Tuolumne, Ventura, Yolo, and Yuba. 

The DIRS report also shares that status of 911 service (all are currently operational) and cell sites out of service.

TV Technology will update this story as the most recent DIRS report is made available.