Published: TV Technology Issue: 7/17/97 Stations Fear Losing Tower Space by Joe Fedele As the implementation of DTV gets under way some TV and radio broadcasters that rent tower space are beginning to wonder if they might be in jeopardy of losing the lease on their existing transmission facilities. Experts agree that it's important for stations to firm up lease commitments from their tower landlord as soon as possible. "I've heard a lot of fear, loathing and speculation about homeless radio and TV stations due to DTV displacement," said Andy Butler, director of engineering for the Public Broadcasting Corporation, "but so far I have not been able to run any concrete examples to ground. I have had several Public TV stations mention that they have tower lease deals with commercial broadcasters that were due to expire in the next two to five years and that they have been essentially 'put on hold' about a renewal pending a shake-out in their landlord's plans." This appears to be the reaction of many broadcasters that are anticipating the worst but do not have any hard evidence to support those fears. Some broadcasters are genuinely afraid of losing their leased space as tower owners begin to ponder the many DTV implementation scenarios. Consequently more and more tower owners are beginning to let their tenants know that the future is uncertain. Al Kenyon, vice president of engineering for Jacor, a TV and radio station group owner, states that, "we're beginning to see it more and more, and a lot of people are worried about retaining their existing transmission sites because it's getting harder to get a commitment from some tower owners for long term tower leases. The DTV problem is now inching its way into contract negotiations." Rich Edwards, president of the Tower America Corporation, a tower management firm based in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. has spoken to several FM station owners who say that they are having trouble renewing leases on TV towers. "It is still early for the big crunch, because most TV stations still have not decided their best approach for DTV," he said. "Once they do, it is most likely that FM stations will either have to pay to beef up towers, replace towers or simply be thrown off." Jacor's Kenyon notes that many leases have an "out-clause" which imposes a set time limit for stations asked to remove their transmission equipment from the tower. A typical out-clause is about six months, he states. And "trying to find a new transmission site in only six months is nearly impossible." Six months, he explains, is generally not enough time for many stations to find a new transmitter location that meets all of a station's FCC license requirements, filing the appropriate paperwork and installing the system at a different facility. In the final analysis, Kenyon says, "this could effect the long-term viability of the property by making it less financially attractive to would be buyers and sellers." One alternative that has been talked about with increasing regularity is for broadcasters to work together by installing cooperative antenna systems. "Many TV and radio stations are going to combiners to reduce their overall wind loading at some tower facilities," said Kenyon. "By combining several stations onto one antenna, valuable tower space is freed up. In some instances such cooperative efforts could even eliminate the need for expensive tower reinforcement work that may have been warranted in order to make room for DTV antennas. As awareness of the many tower problems begin to take root, some station managers are finally starting to listen to their engineering staff's concerns. Tower America Corp.'s Edwards sees this trend continuing. "One thing I have seen is a general acceptance from TV stations that they have to bite the bullet and pay large sums of money to prepare their towers for DTV," he reports. "This has started some very entrepreneurial ventures as broadcasters and telecommunications companies begin to develop plans for startup tower companies and multi-purpose tower sites." Edwards adds that the tower business is rapidly becoming "the romance business of the late 90's. There are several large groups in the top 30 markets that want to control multi-purpose towers." Yet, he also sees a real problem with people entering the business that don't have enough expertise to safely conduct business. "DTV is going to cost lives because some tower workers and owners are going to cut corners and make mistakes while trying to build facilities in a rush to meet deadlines and maximize tower space." While the extent of the "tower problem" will not be fully accessed for some time, broadcasters simply cannot gamble on their future. And, regardless of whether you are talking NTSC or DTV, Edwards notes that "you need to be building now if you want to insure that you will be on the air tomorrow."