SEE IT: Work Wraps Up On Candelabra Tower On TV Hill In Baltimore
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- If you watched one of WJZ's newscasts over the past 24 hours, you know that we were not able to broadcast from our studio due to work being done on our antenna.
On Wednesday, the crew installed the last remaining pedestal and antenna.
Now, the heavy lifting is done, all three antennas are safely secured to the tower and we are now back home.
This was a massive project. If they were to use a crane, it would've taken weeks but thanks to that huge helicopter, they were able to get it done in just over 24 hours.
RELATED COVERAGE:
- Work Underway On WJZ's Candelabra Tower; Old Antennas Removed
- PHOTOS: Old Antennas Removed From WJZ's Candelabra Tower On TV Hill
It could be seen from miles away.
"But really when I'm coming down 83, they rise to me," said Mickey Crowe of Baltimore.
"They've been up there for years," said James White of Baltimore.
Baltimore's Candelabra tower, built in 1956, is home to antennas for three local television stations, including WJZ.
But, it recently got an upgrade thanks to the FCC mandating stations across the country switch frequencies.
Over the course of two days the old antennas were removed and new ones were installed.
Mark Colombo, who works for the FCC, he drove to Baltimore just to watch the show.
"When the new antennas go on, they have to line up those bolts with a helicopter. That's really hard to do, these people are very talented," Colombo said.
It's a project that has been in the works for three years and took more than 30 different companies to complete.
"Helicopter people were on top of their game, the tower crews stepped up and just made it go like clockwork," said WJZ's Director of Operations, Peter Conkling.
It's was a lot of hard work, that caused some minor interruptions, but it should be well worth it.
"A lot more people are going to be able to get us, it's going to be great," Conkling added.
Now they still have some work to do on the tower before they can activate the new antennas.
They hope to be able to do that by the end of next week.
Watch below: GoPro video of an antenna being lifted onto the tower
