Recovery San Diego Style!

San Diego Recovers From The Fire

Please stay healthy!

Today a temporary generator was installed at the KPBS transmitter atop Mt. San Miguel. The temporary power source is enabling KPBS FM to return to full power. KPBS HD, V-me and KPBS’ over the air TV signal are also back on the air.

KPBS was knocked off of the air at 5:30 a.m. Tuesday when the power lines along Mt. San Miguel feeding the transmitter were burned in the Harris Fire.

When the power was lost, KPBS 89.5 FM went off the air, along with KPBS TV’s over the air signal, KPBS HD and V-me. KPBS TV via cable channel 11 was quickly restored via fiber lines sent directly to Cox Communications and Time Warner Cable. KPBS FM continued broadcasting via the live web stream on kpbs.org as well as on 97.7 FM Calexico.

Thanks to the generosity of San Diego’s FM 94/9, at approximately 8:30 a.m. the local alternative rock station handed over their airwaves to the KPBS radio news team in order to keep San Diegans informed of fire news and information. This rare move by a radio station was best summed up by FM 94/9 personality Tommy Hough just before turning over their airwaves to KPBS, “These are extraordinary times and this is an extraordinary situation. It’s in everyone’s best interest to hand over our airwaves to KPBS.”

KPBS has the largest radio news staff in San Diego and had been broadcasting with wall-to-wall coverage since early Sunday evening. This non-stop coverage continued for 75 hours ending Wednesday, October 24 at 10 p.m.

Shortly after losing the transmitter on Mt. San Miguel, KPBS Engineers began working to install a temporary transmitter on the tower on top of the KPBS Copley Telecommunications Center on the San Diego State University campus. The low-power transmitter put KPBS 89.5 FM back on the air early Wednesday morning. Meanwhile, KPBS continued to broadcast via FM 94/9 until 9 a.m. that morning – having delivered wall to wall news and information for a little more than 24 hours on their station.

Also on Wednesday, KPBS engineers were able to reach the top of Mt. San Miguel to assess the damage to the KPBS transmitter building. The visit confirmed that the power lines, wires and poles leading up to the site were all badly damaged in the Harris Fire. Fortunately, the KPBS transmitter building was in good shape, hardly touched by fire.

On Thursday KPBS engineers secured a temporary generator to return power to the transmitter. It was hooked up at approximately 4 p.m. Friday. The generator will be used until SDG&E finishes fixing and/or installing the power lines back to the site atop Mt. San Miguel.

From 760 KFMB and 100.7 Jack FM: You’re invited to join Outback Steak House & KFMB Stations on Monday as they present the Ultimate Block Party to support our San Diego Heroes! The guests of honor include emergency workers, firefighters, volunteers, first responders, anyone who has lost their home during the fires, and
most importantly any San Diegan who wants to show their support!!

It will be the Biggest Block Party EVER! Outback Steakhouse and KFMB Radio Stations will be cooking 10,000 pounds of delicious meat for lunch and dinner from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. for ALL of YOU!! Entertainment will be present too! Astro Jumps will be on site.

Listen Monday morning to Monique and the Man on Jack 100.7 for more details, or tune to 760 KFMB’s Rick Roberts.

The event takes place Monday, at Westfield Shopping Town in North County. That is right off the 15
and Via Rancho Parkway.

Broadcast Company of the America’s CEO John Lynch today announced a fundraiser, Mission Recovery San Diego, that will be held on both XX Sports Radio and San Diego 1700AM.

Mission Recovery, a cooperative effort with Sprint, will consist of an unprecedented on air memorabilia auction and donation campaign on both XXsportsradio.com and SanDiego1700.com.

Auction items include tickets to the 2008 Super Bowl, Vacation packages, signed memorabilia and personal experiences with local and national superstars including dinner for two with Pete Rose.

Mission Recovery San Diego launched this morning with Scott and BR and The Mark Larson Show and will continue through Friday, November 2.

“It is or duty as a broadcast company, as San Diegans, to meet the call when our fellow citizens are in need. For the next week, with our presenting sponsor Sprint, we will offer some of the most extraordinary sports items ever auctioned in the name of San Diego charity. All proceeds will go to help the victims of the fire through the American Red Cross,” said Lynch.

BCA is a San Diego LLC and was formed in 2003 and operates 1090AM; 105.7FM and 1700AM.

On Wednesday, November 14th, Sophie@103.7 will present Rock the Benefit Concert featuring Eskimo Joe at the Hard Rock Café La Jolla. All ticket proceeds will benefit the victims of the San Diego Wildfires. Hard Rock Café La Jolla is located at 909 Prospect Street, La Jolla, CA 92037. Doors open at 7pm.. Tickets are $5 and will be available the night of the show. This event is 21 and older. Sophie@103.7 along with San Diego/Imperial Counties American Red Cross will also have tickets available at various locations TBD.

Eskimo Joe is an Australian rock band whose debut album Girl went gold in 2001. Their second album A Song Is a City was released in Australia 2004 and went double platinum. The band released their third album Black Fingernails, Red Wine in 2006 and the album has gone quadruple platinum. The first single release, sharing the title with the album, “Black Fingernails, Red Wine” has become their first top 10 single. Eskimo Joe was also voted 2007 MTV Australian Video Music Awards, Best Group and Best Rock Video – “Black Fingernails, Red Wine”.

Sophie@103.7 is a new, cutting-edge, adult contemporary radio station owned and operated by CBS RADIO. Sophie is on the forefront of new music in San Diego and features an eclectic mix of today’s popular alternative sounds. Sophie’s listener-driven programming delivers a fresh combination of “music with meaning and artists with integrity.” Sophie also provides unique, unconventional features such as Sunday Morning Rehab, Unsigned Sundays and Sophie’s Acoustic Lounge. Sophie@103.7 - Now. New. Next. Experience Sophie online at www.RadioSophie.com.

This entry was posted on Friday, October 26, 2007 at 5:33 pm and is filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.

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