Chattanooga Radio: City Spends $317K To Repair WNOO Tower

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Months after a Chattanooga Public Works employee accidentally knocked over WNOO 1260 AM’s tower, the city says the rebuild project is complete.

According to News9TV,  city spokesperson says more than $317,000 was paid out in expenses to rebuild the tower, damaged property, and lost revenue from when the station was off the air or at a limited capacity.

WNOO’s General Manager Lee Clear says he has “no complaints” about the way the city has responded.

“Mayor Berke stepped up and said, 'Hey, you know, we made a mistake, you know, we screwed up and we’re going to fix it,'” said Clear.

That $317,000 spent to make WNOO and their property fully functional again came from taxpayer money. Last May, Chattanooga City Council approved emergency funds for the tower, with the tower itself costing the city $198,600.

According to a city attorney, it took until January 1st of 2020 before the station was “back to normal.”