Today in Wheeling History: August 4--Severe winds knocked down all three transmission towers of WWVA, Wheeling's 50,000-watt AM radio station, at its St. Clairsville, Ohio site (2010).
On August 4, 2010, WWVA, a 50,000-watt clear channel AM radio station broadcasting on 1170 kHz from Wheeling, West Virginia, experienced a catastrophic event when severe winds knocked down all three of its 408-foot transmission towers. Located at the station's transmitter site in St. Clairsville, Ohio, these towers had been broadcasting since 1942. The collapse was unprecedented, marking the first time a major 50,000-watt AM station had lost its entire directional array in a single storm. Weather reports indicated wind speeds of up to 70 miles per hour, likely caused by intense straight-line winds or a downburst.
WWVA, founded in 1926, had a long history of growth and power increases. It moved to 1170 kHz in 1941 as part of the NARBA frequency realignment and began broadcasting at 50,000 watts from the St. Clairsville site in 1942. In the immediate aftermath of the collapse, WWVA's programming was moved to sister station WBBD (1400 AM) in Wheeling. Engineers worked quickly to restore WWVA to the air, setting up a temporary antenna by the evening of August 5th.
The incident attracted significant attention due to WWVA's status as a clear channel "Class A" station and because the tower array had been a local landmark for nearly 70 years. On August 9, 2010, WWVA filed an application with the FCC for Special Temporary Authority to operate with a long-wire antenna, requesting permission to operate non-directionally at reduced power, not to exceed 12.5 kW both day and night, while plans were made to rebuild the destroyed array.
This event highlighted the vulnerability of even the most powerful radio stations to extreme weather events. It raised questions about WWVA's future, including whether it would be allowed to return to full 50,000-watt operation and how long reconstruction might take. However, Clear Channel (now iHeartMedia) appeared committed to restoring the station, bringing in engineers from around the country to work on the problem. The collapse underscored the engineering challenges involved in maintaining and restoring such facilities when disasters occur.
To learn more: (https://shorturl.at/adgsm) (https://shorturl.at/UKSLr) (https://shorturl.at/H1cpN)
Photo credits: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV; Dinny Walford, Ohio Valley Flight Academy, Chad Tyson, WWVA, fybush.com
On August 4, 2010, WWVA, a 50,000-watt clear channel AM radio station broadcasting on 1170 kHz from Wheeling, West Virginia, experienced a catastrophic event when severe winds knocked down all three of its 408-foot transmission towers. Located at the station's transmitter site in St. Clairsville, Ohio, these towers had been broadcasting since 1942. The collapse was unprecedented, marking the first time a major 50,000-watt AM station had lost its entire directional array in a single storm. Weather reports indicated wind speeds of up to 70 miles per hour, likely caused by intense straight-line winds or a downburst.
WWVA, founded in 1926, had a long history of growth and power increases. It moved to 1170 kHz in 1941 as part of the NARBA frequency realignment and began broadcasting at 50,000 watts from the St. Clairsville site in 1942. In the immediate aftermath of the collapse, WWVA's programming was moved to sister station WBBD (1400 AM) in Wheeling. Engineers worked quickly to restore WWVA to the air, setting up a temporary antenna by the evening of August 5th.
The incident attracted significant attention due to WWVA's status as a clear channel "Class A" station and because the tower array had been a local landmark for nearly 70 years. On August 9, 2010, WWVA filed an application with the FCC for Special Temporary Authority to operate with a long-wire antenna, requesting permission to operate non-directionally at reduced power, not to exceed 12.5 kW both day and night, while plans were made to rebuild the destroyed array.
This event highlighted the vulnerability of even the most powerful radio stations to extreme weather events. It raised questions about WWVA's future, including whether it would be allowed to return to full 50,000-watt operation and how long reconstruction might take. However, Clear Channel (now iHeartMedia) appeared committed to restoring the station, bringing in engineers from around the country to work on the problem. The collapse underscored the engineering challenges involved in maintaining and restoring such facilities when disasters occur.
To learn more: (https://shorturl.at/adgsm) (https://shorturl.at/UKSLr) (https://shorturl.at/H1cpN)
Photo credits: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV; Dinny Walford, Ohio Valley Flight Academy, Chad Tyson, WWVA, fybush.com
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