Doomsday Scenario. Los Angeles Set to Lose Broadcast Television As Transmitters Likely to Burn. Updated

Station Fire As It Visually Loomed over the Jet Propulsion Laboratory Saturday Aug 29, 2009

The massive fire has moved on and now threatens TV, radio, and communication transmitters and possibly the Mt. Wilson observatory.

One teen on NPR today was worried about the mountain lions that wouldn't be given any help in evacuating.  Okay, now that I've thought about it, I feel bad, too.  

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ABC7  Los Angeles local News is reporting that flames are nearing their TV transmitter on Mt. Wilson and broadcast signals may cease within hours.  They graciously inform us that we should continue to receive cable or satellite signals if we have the proper equipment.  Well, Duh!

What some know is that all the city's TV transmitters are up there on Mt Wilson.  So all that expensive equipment we bought to have one TV per family again that would get some broadcast TV will become a nice paperweight to keep the stack of old newspapers from blowing around.

I did not read a short report from the Anal Press (AP) in which they repeat local fire officials saying that firefighter lives will not be put at risk to save the towers.  Because if I did read that and repeat that one snippit of news about it,  then Anal Press might sue me.   They have duly informed us through published reports that any information they get from our govenment official and services belongs to them, not to the tax payers or citizen journalists.   They have also informed us that links to their work also belong to them (Anal Press) and therefore you won't find them in my posts anymore.

Broadcast and Cable says that it's only ABC and CBS towers in danger, and that the estimated time that flames would hit the towers was at 7 pm tonight about an hour and a half ago.  The one digital TV setup we can afford is on Fox for the Sunday night cartoons and can't be changed to check for about another hour.

An LA Times report "Two TV stations say their transmitters are threatened by Station fire" confirms what I thought was true, that most of our local TV fare is sent out via Mt. Wilson as well as radio and some cell phone service.  But from what is being said I guess ABC and CBS are the only ones in immediate danger.

So much of LA may be kissing the TV experience goodbye for a while. 

Oddly I'm at peace with that.   

 Update: Fox News is now reporting that firefighters will do just about anything they can to save the transmission towers on Mt. Wilson which conflicts with the earlier report that said they wouldn't and even what a Fox journalist said a few minutes ago that fire teams had already been withdrawn from the area.

Update 2:  LA Times reports that crews were up near the transmitters on Mr. Wilson last night clearing brush from around the endangered towers and preparing to defend them and the local Observatory.  They spent the night on the mountain resting when able and waiting for the fire to get to them so they can fight it. Most of this came from LA Times's LA Now blog and is inserted here for your information and updating of the situation.  Check back on their blog during the day for the latest news on Mt. Wilson and other fire news.  I'm sure the TV stations will have updates on the situation too.   It is difficult in the middle of a crisis to predict how it will turn out, so I guess the hyperbolic announcements of doom last night concerning the transmitters are understandable, but I can see those news people as if they are MAD magazine characters importantly announcing the demise of broadcast TV , while a second head sprouts from their shoulders so they can yell into a telephone to the city and county firechiefs about how much money they would lose if those transmitters go down, and they know the mayor, the police chief, and all the county supervisors.

tags: los angeles  station fire  la canada flintridge  broadcast tv transmitters  

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