Just thought I would give you an update on WNPT channel 8. Right now, it is still off the air. The comments below are from Michelle Jones from WNPT. The first one was posted on the WNPT website just yesterday (10/22).

I checked with Mr. Crane and Mr. Baker before posting, but here is an engineering response: NPT’s transmitter tower, like many towers in the U.S., is more than 40 years old and in need of refurbishing. There are only a few crews in the country qualified to do this high-altitute work, and they go from state to state working on towers and antennas and responding to emergencies such as fallen towers, which does happen now and again. The crew working on the NPT tower started by checking all the high-tension guy wires holding the tower up and replacing any corroded parts. Then they started climbing the tower and checking all the joints, replacing rusted and corroded bolts and sections. As they got closer to the top, NPT’s transmitter power output was reduced and finally turned off for the safety of the workers. The next task was to remove the old WKRN analog antenna from the top of the tower, as it was no longer in use. This changes the towers height, which meant that all the lights on the tower had to be moved to comply with FCC & FAA regulations for tower height. Finally, the tower will get a new paint job that will, with any luck, prevent corrosion and keep the NPT tower in good condition for another 40+ years.

The second comment was posted Tuesday 10/18.