Construction of New Nebraska TV Tower Underway

A new TV tower is rising out of the cornfields near I-80 west of Nebraska’s capital city.

The new tower near Beaver Crossing will serve Gray TV CBS affiliate KOLN/10.1 (Lincoln) and Gray NBC affiliate KSNB/4.1 (Superior-York), replacing the former KOLN tower at the same site that collapsed during a January 2020 storm.

The first section of tower had been raised by mid-August, with more sections of tower lined up at the site awaiting installation.

While the project continues, KOLN is seeking another six-month extension of special temporary authority to remain silent and a continued waiver of the federal law that says stations lose their license when they’re off the air for more than a year. The federal law allows the FCC to grant waivers in rare circumstances that are outside of the licensee’s control.

Gray’s latest filing says that it has been “working diligently” to finish the project but it’s been delayed by manufacturing delays and COVID-related material delays.

Even though KOLN itself is technically silent, its programming is still available via other transmitters: Gray’s KCWH-LD/18 (Lincoln) is originating channels 10.1-10.4 (CBS, NBC, Me/My, and Circle) as well as CW on 18.1 and ION on 18.2, while Standard Media’s KLKN/8 is carrying CBS on 10.6 and NBC on 10.7. (The channels are not duplicated on KLKN’s UHF translator in Lincoln). KOLN is also repeated on satellite KGIN/11 (Grand Island).

The project will add KSNB to KOLN’s tower, moving KSNB about 15 miles closer to Lincoln and changing frequency to UHF channel 24. KSNB will change its community of license from Superior to York in the process.