WSPA Back at Full Power

Updated September 10, 2009, 12:30p.m.
As of 3:15 a.m. Thursday WSPA-TV is at full power. Last week a helicopter lifted the final pieces of the tower and placed the antenna on top.
Back in March a snowstorm knocked over the WSPA tower on Hogback Mountain.
We are glad to report the project is now complete.

Posted September 9, 2009
WSPA will be shutting down our on-air signal Thursday morning at 12:35 AM.
The signal could be down for up to 3 hours.
The shutdown will only affect those who receive a signal via an antenna. Cable and satellite users will be unaffected.

Hogback Mountain, SC - It has been a long five months for WSPA viewers.

The final part of this long project should be complete. The giant helicopter used Thursday to lift the final pieces of the tower placed the antenna on top of the WSPA tower on Hogback Mountain Friday afternoon.

Back in March, a snowstorm knocked over the transmitter on Hogback Mountain. Since then, station engineers have worked tirelessly to put the tower back together again. On Thursday, two of the final crucial pieces were put into place and Friday, the hope is that the puzzle will come together.

This giant helicopter helped lift the pieces together as workers clung to the top of the tower in an effort to put the pieces together.

'Slow and careful," said Jason Weber of Erickson Air Crane.

A man, at the foot of Hogback Mountain, watches as the tower is reconstructed. Watch his story here.
Update 9/03/09
A giant helicopter lifts segments of WSPA's tower into place.

News Channel 7 digital channels are 7.1 which is our primary channel and 7.2 which is our 24-7 weather channel.
Since our tower collapse in March News Channel 7 programming has also been available on 62.2.
WSPA Engineer Charlie Wofford says that will be the case until our new tower is up and running which will likely be around football season.

One of the reasons is that dozens of stations switched their digital signals from the U.H.F. band to V.H.F. as they cut their analog signals Friday.
Many people who bought antennas branded as "digital" didn't realize those devices were designed only for U.H.F. stations.
The F.C.C. says more than 20 percent of the 317,000 callers to its help line on Friday had problems receiving at least one station.

Update 9/1/09

WSPA and WYCW transmitters at approximately 2am Friday. The shutdown for routine maintenance should only take 15-30 minutes.

Construction continues on the tower. 10 of 14 sections are up, but a lot of work within the tower structure has to be completed. Four more sections and then two antennas.

Here’s a comparison of the old tower from May of last year and the new tower now.

Update 8/25/09
Tower construction continues with more sections being added to the structure.

Update 8/19/09

Crew prepares base to receive tower leg and assemble them into lower section of the tower

Steel arrives for the base of the new tower.

When our new tower and antenna are up WSPA's digital signal will be stronger than before.

High winds and ice collapsed our tower during the winter storm in March.

Construction Progress Photo Gallery

View Photos of Workers Clearing the Tower

Our a temporary antenna is now in operation and the majority of our viewers should be able to receive our analog and digital signals. If you are receiving our digital signal you should rescan your TV just to make sure you are receiving Channel 7.

If you still cannot receive our signal it can be viewed on Charter, Dish Network and DirecTV and digital channel 62.2.

If you are receiving TV through an antenna and have a digital converter box you can receive WSPA-TV and CBS programming through channel 62.2. If you don't currently have 62.2 you will have to rescan with your television.

We also will live stream our newscasts here until everyone has our signal again.

Monday - Friday

5 am - 9 am

12 pm - 12:30 pm

5 pm - 6:30 pm

7 pm - 7:30 pm

10 pm - 10:30 pm

11 pm - 11:30 pm

Saturday - Sunday

8 am - 9 am

6pm - 6:30 pm

10 pm - 10:30 pm

11 pm - 11:30pm