KVLY-TV Mast
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The KVLY-TV mast (formerly the KTHI-TV mast) is a
television Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...
-transmitting mast in Blanchard, North Dakota. It is used by Fargo station KVLY-TV (channel 11) and KXJB-LD's Argusville/ Valley City/ Mayville
translator Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. The English language draws a terminological distinction (which does not exist in every language) between ''trans ...
K28MA-D (channel 28), along with KNGF (channel 27). Completed in 1963, it was once the tallest structure in the world, and stood at 2,063 feet (628.8 meters) until 2019, when the top mount VHF antenna was removed for the FCC spectrum repack, dropping the height to . In 1974, the KVLY-TV mast was succeeded by the Warsaw radio mast as the world's tallest structure. The Warsaw mast collapsed in 1991, again making the KVLY-TV mast the tallest structure in the world until the
Burj Khalifa The Burj Khalifa (known as the Burj Dubai prior to its inauguration) is a megatall skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. With a total height of 829.8 m (2,722 ft, or just over half a mile) and a roof height (excluding the antenna, but inc ...
surpassed it in 2008. The KVLY-TV mast remained the tallest structure in the
Western Hemisphere The Western Hemisphere is the half of the planet Earth that lies west of the Prime Meridian (which crosses Greenwich, London, United Kingdom) and east of the 180th meridian.- The other half is called the Eastern Hemisphere. Geopolitically, ...
and the tallest broadcasting mast in the world until the removal of its antenna in 2019.


Location

The mast is located west of Blanchard, North Dakota, halfway between Fargo and Grand Forks. It became the tallest artificial structure, and the first man-made structure to exceed in height, upon the completion of its construction on August 13, 1963.


Construction

The tower was built by Hamilton Erection Company of York, South Carolina, and Kline Iron and Steel, and required thirty days to complete, at a cost of approximately $500,000 (roughly $ today). Construction was completed August 13, 1963.


Owners

Owned by Gray Media of
Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
, the tower broadcasts at 350 kW on channel 36 for television station KVLY-TV (channel 11 PSIP, an NBC/ CBS affiliate) which is based in
Fargo, North Dakota Fargo is the List of cities in North Dakota, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Cass County, North Dakota, Cass County. The population was 125,990 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, which was e ...
. The tower provides a broadcast area of roughly , which is a radius of about . CBS/ CW+ affiliate KXJB-LD's
translator Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. The English language draws a terminological distinction (which does not exist in every language) between ''trans ...
K28MA-D also broadcasts on this tower at 15 kW on UHF channel 28 (also its virtual channel). When the mast was built, the call letters of the television station for which it was built were changed to KTHI for "Tower High". The top is reachable by a two-person service elevator (built by Park Manufacturing of
Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 United ...
) or ladder.


Specifications

The tower consists of two parts: a
lattice tower A lattice tower or truss tower is a freestanding vertical latticework, framework tower. This construction is widely used in transmission towers carrying high-voltage electric power lines, in radio masts and towers (a self-radiating tower or as a ...
of ; topped by the transmitting antenna array of . The total height of both is . The antenna weighs , the lattice tower weighs , giving a total weight of . It takes up of land with its guy anchors. Its height above mean sea level is .


Federal rule change

Some time after its completion, the
Federal Communications Commission The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, internet, wi-fi, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains j ...
(FCC) and
Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is a Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government agency within the United States Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Transportation that regulates civil aviation in t ...
(FAA) imposed a policy that states, "Although there is no absolute height limit for antenna towers, both agencies have established a
rebuttable presumption In law, a presumption is an "inference of a particular fact". There are two types of presumptions: rebuttable presumptions and irrebuttable (or conclusive) presumptions. A rebuttable presumption will either shift the burden of production (requ ...
against structures over 2,000 feet above ground level." The FCC and FAA may approve a taller structure in "exceptional cases."


Gallery

File:KVLYDistance.jpg, KVLY tower from a distance of about one mile (1.6 km) File:KVLYPylon.jpeg, A
guy-wire A guy-wire, guy-line, guy-rope, down guy, or stay, also called simply a guy, is a tensioned cable designed to add stability to a freestanding structure. They are used commonly for ship masts, radio masts, wind turbines, utility poles, and ten ...
anchor File:KVLYFromBase.jpeg, Detail of the tower, showing its network of guy-wires File:KVLY-TV tower, North Dakota 019.jpg, Some of the guy-wires that support the tower (with Stockbridge dampers) File:Base of KVLY-TV mast.jpg, Looking up at the KVLY-TV mast from its base File:Base of KVLY-TV tower.jpg, Building at the base of the KVLY-TV tower


Structures of similar height

* KRDK-TV mast () * KXTV/KOVR tower ()


See also

* List of tallest structures in the world * List of tallest structures in the United States


References


External links

*
Tower web page
at KVLY-TV * *
Drawings of KVLY/KTHI TV Mast
from the Skyscraper Page
KVLY and KXJB Towers
from PBPhase.com
Video of the KVLY Tower, summer 2009
from YouTube {{DEFAULTSORT:Kvly-Tv Mast Towers in North Dakota Mass media in North Dakota Buildings and structures in Traill County, North Dakota Radio masts and towers in the United States Gray Media 1963 establishments in North Dakota Towers completed in 1963