WRAL-TV Raleigh, N.C., was not off the air after all.
Although a tower it owns was felled by a light-plane accident last week in
which the pilot was killed, it was not either of the towers used by WRAL-TV,
according to John Greene, vice president of special projects for WRAL-TV parent
Capitol Broadcasting Co. Inc.
He explained: 'The tower that was hit and felled was the broadcast tower
leased to WKFT Fayetteville [N.C.], not either of the towers used by WRAL-TV or
WRAL-DT. The tower that fell is owned by Capitol Broadcasting, but it is only
used by WRAL for microwave news reports from our bureau in Fayetteville. WRAL-TV
is on a 2,000-foot tower near Raleigh, and WRAL-DT is on another 2,000-foot
tower near Raleigh. Both stations and towers are fine and neither was damaged in
any way.'
He added, 'Capitol helped WKFT, which is owned by Bahakel Communications
[Ltd.], to get back on the air with the help of Microspace [Communications
Corp.], which is owned by Capitol Broadcasting Co. Inc. Capitol has also offered
to provide temporary space to WKFT on one of its taller towers near
Raleigh.'
