KATV tower facts for kids
The KATV tower was a very tall television antenna tower built in 1967 near Redfield, Arkansas. It stood about 2000 feet (609.6 meters) high. That's taller than 60 school buses stacked on top of each other! When it was first built, it was the second tallest structure in the whole world, right after another tower in North Dakota.
What Was the KATV Tower For?
The KATV tower was like a giant flagpole for TV signals. It held up the antennas that sent out TV shows for the KATV channel. It also helped broadcast shows for KETS, which is the main station for the Arkansas Educational Television Network. These towers send out signals so you can watch TV at home.
A Giant Tower's Fall
On January 11, 2008, at 12:46 PM, something unexpected happened. The KATV tower suddenly collapsed. No one knows exactly why it fell.
Workers were busy replacing some of the thick cables called "guy wires." These strong cables are super important because they hold the tower steady and keep it from falling over. The workers said that as they were loosening one of these old cables, the tower started to shake and then crashed down.
Luckily, no one was seriously hurt when the tower fell. The tower was actually designed to break into three parts if it ever collapsed. This design helped make sure it fell in a safer way.
A New Tower Rises
The original KATV tower was never rebuilt in the same spot. Instead, a new tower was built in March 2009. This new tower is located on Shinall Mountain near Little Rock, Arkansas.
Even though the new tower is a bit shorter, it's built on a much higher mountain. This means the antenna on top of the new tower reaches about the same overall height as the old one. This way, KATV can still send out its TV signals to everyone.
