The KVLY-TV mast (formerly the KTHI-TV mast) is a television-transmitting mast in Blanchard, North Dakota. It is used by Fargo station KVLY-TV (channel 11) and KXJB-LD's Argusville/Valley City/Mayville translator K28MA-D (channel 28), along with KNGF (channel 27). Completed in 1963, it was once the tallest structure in the world, and stood at 2,063 feet (629 meters) until 2019, when the top mount VHF antenna was removed for the FCC spectrum repack, dropping the height to 1987 ft. In 1974, the KVLY-TV mast was succeeded by the Warsaw radio mast as the world's tallest structure. The Warsaw mast collapsed in 1991, again making the KVLY-TV mast the tallest structure in the world until the Burj Khalifa surpassed it in 2008. The KVLY-TV mast remained the tallest structure in the Western Hemisphere and the tallest broadcasting mast in the world until the removal of its antenna in 2019.

Location

The mast is located 3 mi west of Blanchard, North Dakota, halfway between Fargo and Grand Forks. It became the tallest artificial structure, and the first man-made structure to exceed 2000 ft in height, upon the completion of its construction on August 13, 1963.

Construction

The tower was built by Hamilton Erection Company of York, South Carolina, and Kline Iron and Steel, and required thirty days to complete, at a cost of approximately $500,000 (roughly $ today). Construction was completed August 13, 1963.

Owners

Owned by Gray Television of Atlanta, Georgia, the tower broadcasts at 350 kW on channel 36 for television station KVLY-TV (channel 11 PSIP, an NBC/CBS affiliate) which is based in Fargo, North Dakota. The tower provides a broadcast area of roughly 9700 sqmi, which is a radius of about 55.0 mi. CBS/CW+ affiliate KXJB-LD's translator K28MA-D also broadcasts on this tower at 15 kW on UHF channel 28 (also its virtual channel). When the mast was built, the call letters of the television station for which it was built were changed to KTHI for "Tower High". The top is reachable by a two-person service elevator (built by Park Manufacturing of Charlotte, North Carolina) or ladder.

Specifications

The tower consists of two parts: a lattice tower of 1950 ft; topped by the transmitting antenna array of 53 ft. The total height of both is 1987 ft. The antenna weighs 9,000 lb, the lattice tower weighs 855,500 lb, giving a total weight of 864,500 lb. It takes up 160 acre of land with its guy anchors. Its height above mean sea level is 2962 ft.

Federal rule change

Some time after its completion, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) imposed a policy that states, "Although there is no absolute height limit for antenna towers, both agencies have established a rebuttable presumption against structures over 2,000 feet above ground level." The FCC and FAA may approve a taller structure in "exceptional cases."

Gallery

Structures of similar height