High winds and ice in northwestern Nebraska near Chadron caused a 500-foot radio tower owned by Eagle Communications to collapse last week, according to the Panhandle Post. The storm did its damage at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 30, and although no one was injured, KQSK-FM was forced to suspend broadcast. The station has since returned on-air using neighboring towers.
“We are working through this process as quickly as possible, and we will be rebuilding a newer, better radio tower at the current site just south of Chadron,” said General Manager Olivia Hasenauer. “In the interim, we do have a temporary antenna and transmitter for KQSK and are excited to have the 97.5 FM signal back on the airwaves. It will be an exhilarating 2020 when we erect the new 500-foot tower, for not only our company and team, but also our advertisers and listeners.”
According to the National Weather Service, transmitters on the tower that served Nebraska NOAA weather stations were put out of commission by the tower collapse serving the counties of Dawes, Sioux, Box Butte and some counties in southwest South Dakota. The weather service spokesman said smartphones within range of a cell signal will continue to receive severe weather alerts via their carrier, reported the Panhandle Post.
December 9, 2019
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