WZUM translator back to full power

The WZUM (1550 Braddock) FM translator at 101.1 is located on the Crown Castle tower on Pittsburgh’s North Side. The station announced last week that there had been occasional problems with the signal, especially when the temperature got above freezing. Over the harsh winter, water had entered the antenna system. On very cold days, since the water was frozen, the signal was unharmed. But on the warmer and sunny days that we had very few of, the signal would be diminished.

Pittsburgh Public Media, who owns the station, said in a statement, “our suppliers and contractors have been very helpful in getting this resolved, but to make the fix permanent, our tower crew needs warm, dry weather, and the time to make the climb. Plus, we have to coordinate with all the other stations that use the same tower.” The tower is used by several full power FM stations and a few low power FM translators. When tower crews work at sites, station signals have to be dropped to protect the workers from RF exposure.

Another post on the station site on Monday said that that was the day providing an ideal opportunity to get the work done. The WZUM translator at 101.1 is back at authorized power.

Meanwhile, one assumes that the city view found on WZUM’s website is taken from the towersite. Either way, it’s a beaut!