High Island (Bronx) facts for kids
High Island as viewed from nearby Orchard Beach.
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 High Island
Location in Bronx
Location of High Island in the Bronx, which is in red
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| Geography | |
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| Location | Long Island Sound |
| Coordinates | 40°51′34″N 73°47′10″W / 40.859571°N 73.786159°W |
| Archipelago | The Pelham Islands |
| Area | 0.02 sq mi (0.052 km2) |
| Length | 0.7 mi (1.1 km) |
| Width | 0.8 mi (1.3 km) |
| Administration | |
| State |  New York |
| City |  New York City |
| Borough |  The Bronx |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 0 (2017) |
High Island is a tiny, privately-owned island in New York City. It is part of the Pelham Islands group in the Bronx. This small island sits east of City Island in Long Island Sound.
You can reach High Island from City Island in two ways. There's a small private bridge. Also, a sandbar appears at very low tide, connecting the two islands.
High Island was once a place where people dug for stones. Later, it became a summer vacation spot. Today, it helps two big radio stations broadcast their signals. It holds their transmitters and antennas.
Contents
Island's Past: A Look at High Island's History
High Island used to be called Shark Island. This was because many sand sharks swam in the nearby waters of Pelham Bay. The island itself is quite tall and shaped like a gumdrop. This high shape is why it got its current name, High Island.
Early Owners and Summer Fun
In 1829, a man named Elisha King bought the island. He used it to quarry stones. A quarry is a place where stones are dug out of the ground.
During the 1920s, the Miller family owned the island. They rented out small cottages for summer vacations. About 40 families would come to enjoy their summers there.
Radio Stations Arrive on the Island
In October 1960, the National Broadcasting Company bought High Island. They planned to build a large radio tower there. Later, CBS bought half of NBC's share. They decided to work together on the project.
After more than two years of building, the new tower was ready in 1963. It held the transmitters for radio stations WNBC (660 AM) and WCBS (880 AM). Before moving to High Island, WCBS was on Columbia Island and WNBC was in Sands Point.
Plane Crash and Rebuilding
Something unexpected happened on August 27, 1967. A small private airplane crashed into the radio tower. The crash destroyed the antenna. This took both WCBS and WNBC off the air. This happened just one day before WCBS was set to launch its all-news format.
Both stations quickly found other nearby places to broadcast from for about a week. An emergency tower was then put up on High Island. The permanent replacement tower was built with a second, shorter tower. This second tower serves as a backup in case of another emergency.
Changing Owners of the Island
NBC owned High Island until 1988. Then, they sold it to Emmis Communications. This was part of a deal where Emmis bought WNBC. Emmis also owned WFAN, another radio station. WFAN moved to WNBC's frequency in October 1988.
In 1992, Emmis sold WFAN to Infinity Broadcasting. Later, in 1995, Westinghouse Electric Corporation bought CBS and WCBS. WCBS and WFAN became sister stations in 1997. This happened when Westinghouse bought Infinity.
High Island Today: What's Happening Now?
As of 2022, the entire island and its two radio transmitters belong to Audacy, Inc.. This company has owned both WCBS and WFAN since 2017, through different business deals.
The Radio Towers
The taller of the two towers on High Island is about 548 feet (167 meters) high. The shorter tower is about 300 feet (91 meters) tall. It was built in 2001 to replace the emergency tower from 1967.
Sometimes, the strong signals from these two AM radio stations can cause problems. They might interfere with telephones and other electronic devices on nearby City Island. High Island is only used for AM radio broadcasting. It does not have any recording studios or other tenants. Both WCBS and WFAN broadcast from studios in Manhattan.
Island Caretakers
From 1961 to 2007, a person lived on the island full-time to take care of it. Now, the island is empty. Radio engineers and contractors maintain it. New technology allows them to watch the radio equipment and the island from far away. This means a full-time caretaker is no longer needed.
