The 1,776-foot Freedom Tower planned at the World Trade Center site will be the new permanent home for the majority of New York City area television broadcasters. The Metropolitan Television Alliance (MTVA) signed an agreement for as many as 22 antennas to be placed atop Freedom Tower, scheduled for completion in 2008.
Freedom Tower would have around 70 occupied floors, reaching 900 feet. The upper half of the structure would be more of an open latticework. Some antennas will be mounted on the mast while some would be mounted within the latticework, according to MTVA president Edward Grebow
It may be temporary, but the Empire State Building is now home to all 11 stations in the MTVA. WNBC, the last MTVA member to not be located on the New York City landmark, has signed a 15-year lease for transmission and antenna space atop of the building, which is now the city’s tallest skyscraper, at 1,454 feet. According to Grebow, the Empire State Building will be the backup once Freedom Tower is operational.
In other New York City news, The Durst Organization, which owns 4 Times Square, has tapped Dielectric to install a master antenna system (and associated transmission lines) with up to five antennas capable of transmitting NTSC/ATSC on channels 7-61, for Univision. The Durst Organization is signing a deal with the Spanish-language broadcaster, which is currently on the Empire State Building. The antennas will be 1,141 feet, including a 385-foot tower.
