MA Radio: High Winds Knock 3 Stations Off-Air

A strong gust of wind is being blamed for knocking down two communications towers on Florida Mountain in North Adams in northern Berkshire County, Massachusetts.

One communications tower fell on another soon after midnight Sunday, knocking out most cell phone coverage as well as emergency communication methods for fire, police and ambulance in the area.

The two towers are now mangled, destroyed and flat on the ground. The two towers are fairly tall, each over 150 feet high, 25 and 50 years old respectively.  Silenced was cell phone service or a number of local providers,  Oldies WUPE 100.1 FM, non-com WNNI 98.9 FM and translator W226AW (WFCR New England Public Radio).

The owner of the tower, Corydon Thurston of North Adams Tower Company, vows to rebuild.

Until then temporary communication measures have been put in place. They’ve moved emergency communications equipment to nearby temporary antennas that they put up after the main towers fell down.

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WUPE 100.1 FM (1.3Kw) 60dBu Coverage

WUPE FM at 100.1 posted on its Whoopee Facebook Page that the station remains off-air due to damage at its broadcast tower location.  Engineer Paul Thurst expects to have WUPE back on-air sometime Monday afternoon at reduced power.  WUPE 1110 AM, which usually simulcasts the FM format, continues on-air.