UPDATE Friday 2:30 PM Walt Disney Co.’s KABC-TV Channel 7 station, which uses communications towers near Mt. Wilson, lost its over-the-air signal Friday morning as the Eaton fire continued its rampage through mountainous terrain.
Separately, radio station KLOS-FM 95.5, which also uses transmission facilities in the Angeles Crest Forest, also went off the air overnight.
The LA Times reports KABC confirmed that it was “experiencing an issue with the transmitter,” without providing details of the problem.
The Eaton fire came perilously close to the huge phalanx of mountain-top transmitters on Thursday. Television and radio broadcast engineers, including for Nexstar’s KTLA-TV Channel 5, Paramount’s KCBS-TV Channel 2 and KCAL-TV Channel 9 and other local stations, including LAist/KPCC-FM 89.3, sweated throughout much of the day as they watched the fire’s progress toward their critical infrastructure.
The transmitters escaped damage by flames.
While KABC lost its signal transmission, the station was able to provide digital streams of its morning newscasts directly to cable and satellite TV operators, Disney-owned Hulu Live TV and other streaming apps.
Only viewers who rely on the over-the-air antennas for television found the station blacked out.
“Teams are obviously working hard to get the feed back up for over the air viewers and are hopeful we have it back up soon,” an ABC spokesperson said in an email. The issue was related to the fires, the spokesperson said, but equipment was not burned.
The company directed viewers to the KABC website and streaming apps to watch the highly rated television station.
Meanwhile, Meruelo Group’s KLOS-FM 95.5 radio transmitter controls were disrupted around 2 a.m. Friday and the station went off the air. Station engineers learned that the generator it was using for backup power had run out of fuel, according to a station executive.
Mount Wilson is home to nearly every Class B FM signal serving L.A.; 21 FM signals in all broadcast from there. The 5,700-foot peak is also home to the Mount Wilson Observatory and Park. In addition, TV stations KCBS, KNBC, KTLA, KABC, KCAL, KTTV, KCOP, KMEX, KVEA and KDOC use the site.
The summit has been without power since Tuesday as part of an area-wide temporary shutoff, Irwin said. His main concern was ensuring generator fuel refills can be conducted, as the service road had been closed. However, he expected it to reopen Thursday evening.
Earlier story...
The Mount Wilson broadcast farm in Los Angeles is indeed under threat from a raging fire, specifically the dangerous Eaton fire. This fire is putting the antenna farm and broadcasting transmitters at risk, which could lead to major communications disruptions and limit the broadcasting capabilities of LA's major TV and radio stations.
The fire has already prompted evacuations, including the staff at the historic Mount Wilson Observatory, which is also located on the mountain. Firefighters are working hard to contain the blaze, with hand crews arriving on the scene to fight the fire. Controlled burns are also being conducted around the perimeter to prepare for the fire's arrival.
Most of Los Angeles’ TV stations broadcast from Mt. 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.
HAPPENING NOW: The Eaton Fire is approaching communication towers which service local media outlets throughout Southern California.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) January 9, 2025
The towers located on top of Mount Wilson are also used by law enforcement.
“It is really important for radio transmissions in Southern California… pic.twitter.com/A2Ect1LJBq
If the fire were to destroy the transmitting towers, it would impact viewers who rely on over-the-air signals for broadcast coverage. However, cable, satellite, and telco systems would not be affected, as stations now deliver their feeds via fiber-optic lines. Additionally, many local TV stations share their live news broadcasts via streaming apps.
Some stations have auxiliary towers elsewhere, but they would likely operate at lesser power and with a smaller coverage area.
This isn't the first time Mt. Wilson has faced fire threats. The Station fire in 2009 burned over 160,000 acres in the Angeles National Forest, and the Bobcat fire in 2020 burned nearly 116,000 acres nearby. Engineers hope that the cinderblock-built transmitting structures will withstand the fire1.
The situation is being closely monitored, and firefighters are doing everything they can to protect the broadcast farm and observatory.
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