TV broadcasters in the NYC market will be returning to the site of the World Trade Center according to announcements last week by the Metropolitan Television Alliance (MTVA) and Silverstein Properties, Inc. Silverstein Properties has plans to build a 1,776 foot Freedom Tower at the World Trade Center site.
Few details were available on how the broadcast antennas for the 11 major TV stations in the New York market would be integrated into the design of the Freedom Tower. The architects reported to be involved in the project include Kohn, Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF), web site www.kpf.com and Skidmore, Owings and Merrill LLP, web site www.som.com.
The target date for topping out steel on the tower is Sept. 11, 2006. Additional time will be needed to install the antennas, transmission lines, transmitter plants, electrical and cooling systems and other facilities needed by the eleven broadcasters. Congress and the FCC have set 2006 as the year broadcasting will completely transition to digital and analog TV transmission will be shut down. While few expect that analog broadcasting will end in 2006, as more consumers obtain TV programming via cable and satellite the possibility remains that analog TV broadcasting could end shortly after the new site is complete. If only DTV transmission facilities are needed, this will simplify the complex task of designing and building space for the 11 TV stations.
