«« Additional Facts about the WRBL-WTVM TV Tower »»
A WRBL station pioneer provided some portions of the information below | Thanx-A-Lot, Mr. John Suhr
TERMINOLOGY NOTE The word MAST may (inaccurately) refer more to the actual transmitting antenna for a given TV or radio station. The antenna is usually
not very long, maybe no more than 60 to 75 feet. A TOWER is the very tall structure to which an antenna is attached. Originally, this tower was only going to be 1200-feet in height. When construction time neared, it was decided to add an extra 549 feet,
making the tower's total height 1749-feet.
WRBL first went on the air with a logo created by their artist ("Red" something) and a character named Wee ReBeL (who looked
an awful lot like the comic-strip character Henry, but wearing a "Rebel" hat).
Along the same line, WDAK TV {pre-WTVM} used the "Big Johnny Reb" logo {also WDAK AM-540's Signature}, long after it wasn't politically correct.
The video signals from both WTVM and WRBL were transmitted to the Cusseta tower via microwave dishes on short towers. The studio
dishes could make a straight line to the receiving dishes on the Cusseta tower. Winds could blow these dishes out of line and often did,
creating snowy blank screens until workmen climbed up the tower and re-aligned the dishes properly.
The WRBL-WTVM TV tower stood alone as the world's tallest structure for 16 months. In September of 1963 construction on the WBIR-TV
tower in Knoxville, Tennessee -- also 1749 feet tall -- was completed.
Three months later in December 1963, the 2063-foot tall TV tower for KTHI in Fargo, North Dakota became the world's tallest structure.
The Fargo tower reigned supreme as the world's tallest for just over ten years. Then in May 1974, the Warszawa Radio Tower in Plock
(some references have it as Plonck), Poland, standing 2117.3 feet tall, became the new champion. The Warszawa Rasio Tower fell down
in 1991, which gave the "World's Tallest" crown back to the 2063-ft Fargo tower. See below for the new "World's Tallest" champion.
I have learned that the WRBL-WTVM tower is no longer the tallest structure in Georgia. The WCTV Tallahssee (FL) CBS-6 TV Tower
in Metcalf at 2000 FT, now holds that honor. The WCTV tower shares with several other 2000-FT towers the distinction of being the 6th
most tallest structure in the world.
Tallest Structures by State
NEWS: January 17, 2009 - We have a New Champion! When the Warszawa Tower fell in 1991, the 2063 foot KVLY (formerly KTHI) Tower in Fargo ND regained the tag of "World's Tallest Structure".
On April 7, 2008, the Burj Dubai building in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, overtook the Fargo Tower in height. Then, on September 1, 2008,
the Burj Dubai surpassed the height of the 2117.3 foot Warszawa Tower (1974-1991) to become the all-time "World's Tallest" Champion.
On January 17, 2009, the Burj Dubai was "topped out" at 2684 feet!! Pass the Dramamine!
