TSG Connects WMBC-TV to One World Trade Center Master Antenna System
Broadcast engineering company Technical Services Group (TSG) commissioned two new Rohde & Schwarz transmitters for WMBC-TV at One World Trade Center in New York City. WMBC-TV is the latest broadcasting tenant for the Durst Organization on the One World Trade’s master antenna system.
Last year, Radio Frequency Systems (RFS) extended its existing antenna and combiner infrastructure at One WTC, which enabled WMBC-TV to upgrade to the digital ATSC 3.0 transmission technology. The latest move has significantly improved its signal coverage, according to TSG. Owned by Mountain Broadcasting Corporation, WMBC-TV is an independent, full-power television station serving the New York metropolitan area.
As the owner representative and design-build contractor for the project, Advent Industrial Corporation, together with Technical Systems Engineering and Marc Musgrove of the Durst Organization, collaborated on the design of the RF and support systems for WMBC-TV. Advent Industrial Corporation prepared the tenant space and integrated the electrical, mechanical and RF systems into the building’s master broadcast infrastructure. TSG CEO Bo Hoover said Advent was instrumental in facilitating and coordinating all the skilled union trades people for the project.
This project marked a return to One WTC for Advent Industrial Corporation. AIC had previously built a significant number of the major TV transmitter facilities in the original North Tower prior to 9/11 and was instrumental in the post 9/11 emergency return to on-air broadcasting at the Alpine Tower.
“When we arrived on site, we worked with Advent’s president, Michael Christatos, and his team to verify and test electrical, mechanical, and cooling systems – with only final modifications to ensure the broadcast systems would run at optimal efficiency,” Hoover explained. “It was a rare and remarkable effort by all to show up on a Monday and work together to facilitate going live on Friday.”
Once the physical components were in place, TSG worked with RFS’s Todd Loney, who managed the filter tuning and optimization of the master combiner, while TSG handled the commissioning, startup, and proof of the remaining system equipment. WMBC-TV is broadcasting from two new R&S®THU9evo-40 transmitters (main and auxiliary), which can be used seamlessly with either the upper (RFS PEP96) or lower (RFS PEP40L) antenna main and auxiliary systems at One WTC.
TSG is proud to be featured in the digital newsletter of Inside Towers on March 15, 2023. Inside Towers is a media outlet serving the wireless infrastructure industry. This InsideTowers.com featured article is available online here.