Telefarm Towers
Telefarm Towers Shoreview is a transmission site for FM radio and television broadcasting in Shoreview, Minnesota consisting of two guyed towers.
The towers, commonly called simply the Shoreview Towers by local residents, are owned by Telefarm, Inc., a joint venture of Twin Cities broadcasters CBS Television Stations (WCCO channel 4), Hubbard Broadcasting (KSTP channel 5, KSTC channel 5.2, KSTP-FM 94.5 FM, and KTMY 107.1 FM), and Tegna (KARE (channel 11) for the transmission of digital television and FM radio throughout the Greater Twin Cities. Along with Sinclair Broadcasting Group's WUCW (channel 23), Minnesota Public Radio flagship station KNOW-FM (90.3) are additional tenants on the tower. The towers were initially built in the 1970s for analog television, and were replacements for a single "candelabra" style tower which collapsed just prior to completion in 1971, killing six workers on the tower and one on the ground.[1]
The towers were upgraded at the turn of the century to allow the addition of digital TV transmitters to meet Federal Communications Commission requirements. Because each antenna assembly weighs many tons, the towers had to be strengthened. Work took a bit longer than expected, and KSTP notably used its original broadcast tower along University Avenue in St. Paul, Minnesota for digital transmission for about a year starting in late 1999 before the construction was finished.
Upgrades to the first tower were completed in 2000. It now rises 437.7 meters (1436 ft) from the ground. Its geographical coordinates are 45°03′44.0″N 93°08′22.0″W / 45.062222°N 93.139444°W.
Work on the second tower, which rises 438.3 m (1438 ft), was finished in 2001. It is located at 45°03′45.0″N 93°08′22.0″W / 45.062500°N 93.139444°W.
During the summer of 2019, an antenna section on the north tower was removed. Television station KSTC moved to RF channel 30, from its previous channel of 45. This was due to the spectrum reallocation of the late 2010s. This move was completed by early September. [2]
FM
| FM radio stations | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frequency | Call sign | Name | Format | Owner |
| 91.1 91.1 HD-2 91.1 HD-3 |
KNOW | MPR News Radio Heartland BBC World Service |
News/Talk Folk Music News/Talk |
Minnesota Public Radio |
| 94.5 94.5 HD-2 94.5 HD-3 |
KSTP | KS95 Skor North ESPN Deportes |
Hot AC Sports Spanish Language |
Hubbard Broadcasting |
| 107.1 107.1 HD-2 |
KTMY | myTalk 107.1 74 WDGY |
Female-Oriented Talk Oldies |
Hubbard Broadcasting |
Television
| Channel | Callsign | Affiliation | Branding | Subchannels | Owner | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Virtual) | Channel | Programming | ||||
| 4.1 | WCCO | CBS | WCCO 4 News | 4.2 | Start TV | CBS Corporation |
| 5.1 | KSTP | ABC | 5 Eyewitness News | 5.7 | Heroes & Icons | Hubbard Broadcasting |
| 5.2 | KSTC | Independent | 45 TV | 5.3 5.4 5.6 |
Me-TV Antenna TV This TV |
Hubbard Broadcasting |
| 11.1 | KARE | NBC | KARE 11 | 11.2 11.3 11.4 |
Court TV Justice Network Quest |
Tegna, Inc. |
| 23.1 | WUCW | CW | The CW Twin Cities | 23.2 23.3 23.4 |
Comet Charge! TBD |
Sinclair Broadcast Group |
See also
- KMSP TV Tower – another major tower in Shoreview
- List of masts
References
- ^ "1971 TV tower collapse survivor shares story". presspubs.com. 18 October 2016.
- ^ "KSTC's move to new transmitter delayed until Aug. 2". KSTP.com. 19 June 2019.
- (November 8, 1999). KSTP-TV to flip the switch for DTV. (press release)
- (January 30, 1998). TV, radio towers prep for digital overload. Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal.
External links
- "Listing 1023882". Antenna Structure Registration database. U.S. Federal Communications Commission. (Tower 1)
- "Listing 1023883". Antenna Structure Registration database. U.S. Federal Communications Commission. (Tower 2)