[BC] 2000 ft. Digital TV tower for Chicago

[Mike McCarthy]

I doubt it will be built.?All the local TV's who?built HD have long term deals with their current landlords.? Most expiring in 2010 and with automatic renewals well past 2020.? I just don't see all
the big guys bailing on their current-yet to be fully depreceiated?HD installations?for this one. They would need to offer very enticing terms to get the stations out of their current sites to gain
less than 500 ft.? In a flat market like Chicago, there are very few areas which are shadowed by terrain from Sears Tower.

Then there are the nearby markets which would need protection from the increased height.?The FCC has stated they will use current coverage/facilities to re-map the TV allocation migration from all
those stations above 51 which need to move.

It's very unlikely any FM's would move because at 1700 ft., the ERP is below 3KW.? We need some power to penetrate downtown buildings. The FM's would need to be located below the resturants and
observation deck on one of the legs.? Not very appealing locations.

NOW....for the newer less restricted services which are emerging and can use the higher location, that WILL be a boon.

MM


- At 11:23 AM 10/25/2005, Rob Atkinson wrote: -------
> 
> >Today's Chicago Tribune has a front page report of a plan to 
> >construct a 2000 foot high freestanding structure downtown in the 
> >Streeterville neighborhood that would consist of 3 legs braced at 
> >different heights, and tapering into 3 spires at around the 1500 
> >foot point. A significant purpose is that it serve as a location 
> >for digital TV antennas. At this point, it is only a plan and 
> >faces several hurdles which could cause it to vaporize. It would 
> >not be a office building but more like CN Tower, higher than that 
> >but not as high as the TV tower in Fargo.
> 
> After 9/11 there was talk of a 2,000 ft. tower to be built on 
> Governor's Island, just off Manhattan. I think the city had hoped to 
> use the island for an amusement park and casinos if they could get 
> state approval. You have to understand that the city and state are 
> not friends and much of what the city does is governed by the state. 
> Rent control, for instance, is a state regulation. Much of the state 
> votes Republican. The city, Democrat. The state often punishes the 
> city for that. Even the Republican Mayors are more like Democrats.
> 
> Since they're still fighting over what to build on Ground Zero any 
> hope for a tower is years away.
> 
> Rich

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