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UPDATED: New antenna now online; HD-2 classical service restored

90.7 WMFE replacing 37-year-old broadcast antenna

DURING WORK, STATION'S CLASSICAL SERVICE WILL BE OFF THE AIR

UPDATE WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 6: This morning, 90.7 News was off the air for about 45 minutes as we did the final work to tune and bring our new antenna online. The HD-2 classical service is back on the air (you may have to manually tune your HD radio up a notch or two to get it to recognize the signal again). Thank you for your patience. We hope you hear us clear as a bell. If you do have any issues, let us know by emailing wmfe@wmfe.org or calling 407-514-1750.

UPDATE TUESDAY, SEPT. 5: A tower crew worked last week to successfully remove 90.7 WMFE’s 37-year-old antenna and install the new one. Due to some weather delays, technical work to hook the antenna up to the transmitter will continue this week.

We’ll still be broadcasting on our back-up antenna, so HD-2 classical will remain off the air until sometime Wednesday, Sept. 6 (listen online or through the WMFE mobile app). We're sorry for the inconvenience. Our crew is working as fast as they can under the current weather conditions.

On Wednesday morning, during the 10 o’clock hour, 90.7 News will be off the air for about 30 minutes as we do the final work to tune and bring our new antenna online. We’re sorry for any inconvenience caused as we finish this important project. You can still listen to 90.7 News online at www.wmfe.org/listenlive or through the WMFE mobile app.

The antenna will mimic the pattern of the old antenna, and we hope you’ll hear us clear as a bell. If you do have any reception issues, please let us know by emailing wmfe@wmfe.org or calling 407-514-1750.

Here are some photos from the site:

[gallery type="slideshow" size="large" ids="77522,77519,77520,77515,77525,77517,77521,77518,77523,77524,77566"]

ORIGINAL RELEASE

ORLANDO — Your favorite radio station is getting a makeover!

It’s time to replace 90.7 WMFE’s broadcast antenna, which has been faithfully pumping our signal across Central Florida since the day we first went on the air 37 years ago, in July of 1980.

We were able to purchase a new antenna thanks to a grant from the Department of Education, and it has arrived at our transmitter site just north of Bithlo in Orange County.

Starting Monday, Aug. 28, over the course of three to four days, weather permitting, a tower crew will be working 700 feet above the ground to carefully take the old antenna off the tower and put up the new one. They’ll hoist each of the 10 sections of the new antenna, made of copper and brass with Teflon insulation, into place. Once assembled, the new antenna will be 90 feet long and weigh 776 pounds. (To get a feel for what it’s like to ascend a radio tower, watch this video of a climber changing the light bulb at the top of a 1,500 foot TV tower.)

While we undergo this transition, 90.7 WMFE will broadcast using a back-up antenna. Due to power limitations, we will not broadcast our HD signal during this time. The main analog channel (90.7 FM) will be available, but the digital HD-1 (90.7-1) news channel and HD-2 classical music channel (90.7-2) will be off the air. You can still listen to our classical music service through the stream on our website and through the WMFE mobile app.

Once we switch on the new antenna, we hope you’ll hear us clear as a bell. If you do have any reception issues or questions about the antenna project, please let us know. Email wmfe@wmfe.org or call 407-514-1750.

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If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Jenny Babcock at 407-273-2300 ext. 112 or email at jbabcock@wmfe.org.