Radio World continues to monitor how southern California broadcasters are faring in the wake of the January wildfires, including beyond the Los Angeles market.
Crawford Broadcasting’s 740 KBRT(AM), “K-Brite Radio,” licensed to Costa Mesa, Calif., has a four-tower array located right on the Orange/Riverside county line. The 50 kW signal had been running on a generator for much of January in accordance with the Southern California Edison public safety shutdown. According to Crawford’s Director of Engineering Cris Alexander the disruptions began much earlier than that. You can read Alexander’s more detailed account of the last few months for KBRT in his own words.
“We have been on generator more than utility power since before Thanksgiving,” he said.
Shore power has had to be shut down due to the mix of dry conditions and wind gusts. Alexander understands why, but as a result, KBRT has had to absorb the cost of diesel refuels up the five-mile switchback road leading to its transmitter site.
“Fuel trucks would have a hard time making that trip, especially in inclement weather,” Alexander said.
[Related: “Powering Broadcast Transmitter Sites Isn’t Always Easy”]
So Crawford Broadcasting has taken to hauling its own fuel, purchasing an off-road red-dyed diesel from a fuel depot in 55-gallon drums and hauling it to the site in its own Tacoma truck.
The site has a 12-volt electric pump that screws into the opening at the top of a fuel drum.
“We use our Kubota tractor’s hydraulics to safely lift the full fuel drums out of the truck bed and to set them on the ground,” Alexander said.
[Related: “Inside Cumulus’ Strategy for Emergencies in Oxnard-Ventura-Santa Barbara”]
Alexander was happy to report that power has remained on since Thursday, Jan. 23. “Since then, we’ve stayed out of red flag conditions, thank God,” he said. Recent rains have also been beneficial, although they now heighten the risk of mudslides.
We invite other southern California broadcasters to send in their stories to radioworld@futurenet.com.
