LA TV, radio on alert

The devastating Eaton fire is now focused on Mount Wilson, threatening the antenna farm and transmitters located above, as well as the historic Mount Wilson Observatory. If the fire reaches the top of the mountain, it could cause major communications problems and limit the broadcast capabilities of Los Angeles’ major TV and radio stations.

According to KCBS/KCAL news, hand crews have arrived at Mount Wilson to battle the fire.

Most Los Angeles TV stations broadcast from Mount Wilson, including KCBS (CBS 2), KNBC (NBC 4), KTLA (Channel 5), KABC (ABC 7), KCAL (Channel 9), KTTV (Fox 11) , KCOP (channel 13), KCET (PBS SoCal 2 channel 28), KOCE (PBS SoCal 1 channel 50), and KMEX (Univision 34). FM stations broadcasting from there include KPCC-FM 89.3, KPFK-FM 90.7, KUSC-FM 91.5, KRRL-FM 92.3, KCBS-FM 93.1, KLLI-FM 93.9, KTWV 94.7, KLOS-FM 95.5, KNX -FM 97.1, KKLA-FM 99.5, KKLQ-FM 100.3, KRTH-FM 101.1, KSCA-FM 101.9, KIIS-FM 102.7, KOST-FM 103.5, KBIG-FM 104.3, KKGO-FM 105.1, KPWR-FM 105.9 and KLVE-FM 107.5.

Should fire destroy Mount Wilson’s cell towers, local stations would not take as big a hit as they did a few decades ago: most cable, satellite and telecom systems will not be affected, as stations now supply their feeds to providers via fiber optic lines. And local TV stations now also share their live news broadcasts via streaming apps. But viewers who rely on over-the-air signals for their broadcasts would indeed have to temporarily find other ways to get local TV rates — a serious concern during a major news event like the LA fires.

But while cable, satellite and streaming will minimize the loss of TV viewers, several LA FM stations might not be so lucky. Some of those stations already have auxiliary towers elsewhere and could get back on the air quickly, but most likely with less power and a smaller coverage area.

Many of the transmission structures on Mount Wilson are built with concrete blocks and other durable materials, perhaps giving engineers some hope that fires won’t cause mass destruction. This isn’t the first time Mount Wilson has been threatened by fire, most notably the 2009 station fire that burned more than 160,000 acres in the Angeles National Forest. Another fire threatened Mount Wilson’s facilities in 2017, and then the Bobcat Fire burned nearly 116,000 acres nearby in 2020.

Meanwhile, the Mount Wilson Observatory posted this update on its Instagram page: “As you may have seen on the news, the Eaton fire is approaching Mount Wilson. There are firefighters on site, but the power is out at the Observatory, so communications are limited. We are monitoring the situation and will provide updates here as possible. Thank you for your concern.” On Wednesday, the Observatory reported that most of its staff had been evacuated, with a skeleton crew standing guard. “The Observatory is safe for the time being, although the webcam images from our tower cams look scary. We are in contact with mountain staff to receive updates.” The historic observatory first opened in 1904.