This spring and summer should bring the fruition of KETR’s multi-year efforts to replace its aged and damaged transmission hardware and systems with equipment capable of serving Northeast Texas reliably for decades to come.
Capital project for transmitter began in 2019
In 2019, KETR began a capital campaign to fund the replacement of its old hodge-podge of transmission equipment with a single transmitter capable of generating both analog and digital broadcasts.
KETR began offering digital broadcast in 2003, but structural damage in 2008 led to the digital broadcast becoming unreliable. For years, the station lacked the ability to make the significant investment that fixing it would require. But in 2017, the station partnered with Texas A&M University-Commerce to replace the transmitter building which had served since 1975. The new building presented an opportunity to house new transmission systems in a facility more secured against the elements.
Fundraising began. Then the pandemic happened and slowed progress. But KETR Development was eventually able to find the revenue and the partners to take on the project, the implementation of which began in March 2022.
Need for new antenna, transmission line identified
At that time, KETR staff learned from transmitter manufacturers that digital broadcasts would require a new antenna - the one in service at KETR has been atop our 400-foot tower since 1983. An antenna was ordered in March 2022 and arrived in August 2022. Also last summer, a transmitter manufacturer was awarded the contract and began obtaining the specifics needed to begin building the transmitter.
The work of locating a scheduling a crew to decommission the old antenna and install the new one lasted until January 2023. At that time, contract technicians discovered that the transmission line that carries the signal from the transmitter to the antenna was failing. And so efforts began to locate a new transmission line.
In March 2023, a line was located and a crew was hired to obtain it. The line was obtained in April, and the transmitter, which was built to custom specifics, was delivered.
Antenna and line replacement to precede new transmitter
As of today, the replacement of the antenna and transmission line is scheduled for Thursday, May 11, weather permitting. Once that project is complete, KETR's operations team will work with the transmitter manufacturer to schedule the installation of the new transmitter.
KETR’s analog signal should get a power boost in May, following the installation of the new antenna and transmission line. Later this summer, following the transmitter installation, KETR's analog signal is expected to return consistently to its full 100kw of power. Additionally, KETR’s digital broadcast will join the analog signal in serving Northeast Texas listeners better than ever before.
