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
