[BC] How close is too close?

[SHAFFER, RANDY L]

Mark wrote -

>Being in Maryland, we have had occasions where pretty nice sized chunks 
>of ice have fallen from the tower, and I'm concerned that some day we're 
>going to end up getting sued for damage to the building and cars, or for 
>someone getting killed by a chunk of ice (or for the 5 MW of RF power 
>causing birth defects in someone's baby (yeah, I know that they are in a 
>pretty low RF area, right below the tower, but a jury might not 
>understand that...)).  I've been half-thinking of putting up a "rent/buy 
>at your own risk, falling ice danger and high power RF in area" sign on 
>the transmitter building so that people will see it out of their back 
>window when they are looking at the apartments.

>Anyone else have the same sort of issue?  Should I be concerned?

Mark, talk to Tim Costley at WTTO. He saw quite a bit of ice falling from our WLYH tower over the years. 
Depending on the wind when the ice falls, 300ft may not be far enough. In 1996, my car was taken out by an
ice fall that also sent a chunk through a neighbors roof. The house was over 200 ft away.
We have a warning sign that gets hung over the stations main entrance during ice falls that tells people to leave the area.

Randy Shaffer
WLYH-TV/WHP-TV
Clear Channel Television 
Harrisburg, PA 17110