KVLY-TV Tower Loses Status as Tallest Supported Structure

By Doug Lung
published

Most transmitter engineers I know have an affinity for tall towers and mountain-top sites. It’s hard to beat height when it comes to single transmitter coverage, as the extra height reduces shadows from buildings and terrain and extends the radio horizon.

With this in mind, I thought readers would be interested in the new structure that’s taken the claim of “world’s tallest supported structure” away from the 628.8-meter-high KVLY-TV mast in North Dakota. That structure is the Y-shaped Burj Dubai tower in the United Arab Emirates. Monday it reached a height of 629 meters and it isn’t finished. The final height is unknown, but reports indicate it could be around 900 meters.

Burj Dubai isn’t a TV tower. Looking around the Burj Dubai Web site I didn’t see any reference to broadcast antennas on top of the tower, but I wouldn’t be surprised if there isn’t an antenna on top when it’s finished. The tower will include hotels, office space and luxury residences.

It was designed by American architect Adrian Smith and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. This is a very interesting structure! Browse through the Burj Dubai Web site to learn more about its unique features.

Doug Lung
Doug Lung

Doug Lung is one of America's foremost authorities on broadcast RF technology. As vice president of Broadcast Technology for NBCUniversal Local, H. Douglas Lung leads NBC and Telemundo-owned stations’ RF and transmission affairs, including microwave, radars, satellite uplinks, and FCC technical filings. Beginning his career in 1976 at KSCI in Los Angeles, Lung has nearly 50 years of experience in broadcast television engineering. Beginning in 1985, he led the engineering department for what was to become the Telemundo network and station group, assisting in the design, construction and installation of the company’s broadcast and cable facilities. Other projects include work on the launch of Hawaii’s first UHF TV station, the rollout and testing of the ATSC mobile-handheld standard, and software development related to the incentive auction TV spectrum repack.
A longtime columnist for TV Technology, Doug is also a regular contributor to IEEE Broadcast Technology. He is the recipient of the 2023 NAB Television Engineering Award. He also received a Tech Leadership Award from TV Tech publisher Future plc in 2021 and is a member of the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society and the Society of Broadcast Engineers.