WEST PALM BEACH, FLA. and NEW YORK—ION Media announced that it would commence broadcasting from One World Trade Center in New York. The announcement was made in cooperation with The Durst Organization and The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which co-developed and co-manage the property.

ION Media’s TV networks ION Television, ION Life and Qubo will begin broadcasting from One World Trade’s 1,776-foot height “in the fourth quarter of 2017, providing New York and the tri-state area with a 360-degree signal from a state-of-the-art omni-directional antenna. For Ion, this will provide an ideal high-power UHF frequency footprint for HD broadcasting and future wireless spectrum applications,” ION’s announcement said.

ION owns and operates WPXN in New York—its flagship station. ION must move WPXN from Ch. 31 to Ch.34 in phase No. 4 of the post-incentive auction repack, according to the Public Notice announcing regional repack coordinators.

“Offering the best over-the-air wireless television signal in the most important media market in the world, from the top of One World Trade Center, achieves an important objective,” said Brandon Burgess, chairman and CEO, ION Media. “We are proud to return to this premier location since our tragic departure after 9/11.”

ION Media has 60 full-power stations reach 98 million homes. Of those, 49 stations received new channels in the post-auction channel reassignment, according toFCC data made available by Rabbit Ears, which also indicates two ION stations that will go off the air to either go dark or channel-share—WDPX in Vineyard Haven, Mass.; and WFPX in Fayetteville, N.C.

John Lyons, assistant vice president and director of Broadcast Communications of The Durst Organization, said.“We are thrilled to welcome ION Media to One World Trade Center’s broadcast facility. The facility was designed with state-of-the-art equipment and also has the infrastructure in place for future broadcasting technological advancements.”

Durst announced that broadcast transmission tests would commence May 8 with WNJU, WNBC, WCBS and WNET, at the NAB Show last month.

Image copyright NAB 2017

LAS VEGAS—Fifteen and a half years after the events of Sept. 11 and four and a half years since the Durst Broadcast Organization took up the endeavor, broadcasting is on the eve of returning to lower Manhattan. The broadcast site on top of One World Trade Center will begin broadcasting in May.

It was the trio of Durst, Myat Inc. and Radio Frequency Systems as well as the broadcasters of New York that made this return possible. “We found the best partners to do this, and it’s just about done,” said John Lyons, director of broadcast communications for Durst.

Not that it was easy. There were many challenges involved in the process, from the physical limitations of transporting the antennas, cables and other necessary equipment the 1,776 feet to the top of the building, to the future technical requirements of ATSC 3.0 and the spectrum repack. “We future- proofed the facility so whatever came through, we’d be ready for it,” explained Phil Cindrich, president of Myat Inc.

While there is no confirmed date for broadcasting to begin, the participating broadcasters — WNJU, WNBC, WCBS and WNET — will begin test broadcasting on May 8. Once finalized, it will be full steam ahead.

Copyright NAB 2017