New KFI Tower topples

[radiofan]

KFI tower topples

The Orange County Register
updated 16 minutes ago

LA MIRADA – A half-built radio tower, under re-construction after years of debate over the safety of its location, crashed to the ground this afternoon injuring a construction worker, city and radio-station officials said.

The name of the injured worker was not released, but his injuries were believed to be minor, said Greg Ashlock, president and market manager of Clear Channel Radio.

The reason for the collapse was not immediately clear but was believed to be construction-related, he said.

Clear Channel, which operates KFI-AM radio, contracted with Seacomm Erectors, Inc. to build a 684-foot-tall tower at 16608 Trojan Way.

Construction began on Saturday and had risen to about 250 feet by Tuesday when the tower came crashing down around 2:30 p.m.

The tower was meant to replace a 760-foot-tall tower that was toppled in December 2004 when a small plane crashed into the tower on approach to Fullerton Municipal Airport – less than two miles southeast of the tower. A couple was killed.

In recent months, Fullerton airport and city officials joined with local pilots in protesting plans for the tower's reconstruction, saying it was too tall and would pose a hazard to pilots. They didn't want the new tower to rise more than 500 feet.

The La Mirada City Council unanimously approved the new tower in January. KFI officials expected the construction would take about four weeks. Ashlock said it's not immediately clear how the collapse will affect that timetable.

KFI continued to broadcast from a 200-foot-tall temporary tower on the same property, so the collapse did not interrupt the radio station's signal. The new tower will provide a stronger signal.

From Orange County Register