Tokyo SkyTree Opens

By published

The Tokyo SkyTree officially opened May 22. It has been certified as the world's tallest free-standing broadcast tower and the second tallest building, just behind the Burj Kalifa in Dubai. The Tokyo SkyTree extends 634 meters (2,080 feet)above ground and provides support for Tokyo's digital TV transmitting antennas. Its height places the antennas above other skyscrapers in Tokyo, improving coverage in the city and beyond.

In addition to the transmission facilities, the structure has two observation decks--one at 350 meters (1,148 feet) and a second at 450 meters (1,476 feet). The SkyTree complex also includes a shopping area.

For photos and more information, see theTokyo SkyTree website.Yahoo.com has coverage of the opening day in the article Record-breaking SkyTree opens to visitors.

Doug Lung
Doug Lung
Contributor

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.