A sleek monopole tower now rises 70 feet above Valley Public Radio's new broadcast center in Clovis. The tower holds an antenna that relays the station signal to the KVPR 89.3 transmitter in the mountains above Auberry.
On Tuesday, crews from Howell Communications used a crane to lift the tower into place, and then attached an antenna to the top of the structure. FM89's broadcast engineer Scott Dean was on site to coordinate the installation and to ensure the antenna was mounted at the correct azimuth to reach the KVPR transmitter at Meadow Lakes. One big advantage of the Clovis site is the proximity to the transmitter site. On a clear day, it's easy to see the ridge above Highway 168 where FM89 broadcasts from.
With the tower installed and tested, the station is set to begin moving in technology in early March. Operations are set to move to the new building in April.