KOLN Returns to Air after 2020 Tower Collapse

Nearly two years after its tower collapsed in a winter storm, Gray TV CBS affiliate KOLN/10 (Lincoln) resumed normal operations on Tuesday, Nov. 23.

The station advised viewers to rescan after 10 a.m. Tuesday to receive KOLN’s new signal. The RF channel 10 signal will carry CBS on 10.1, H&I on 10.4, Circle on 10.5, and True Crime Network on 10.6, as well as KSNB-NBC on 4.1 and MeTV/MyNetworkTV on 4.2, matching KSNB’s virtual channel numbers.

While KOLN’s main transmitter was off the air, most of KOLN’s channels had been carried on sister station KCWH-LD/18 (Lincoln), remapping to virtual channel 10. The CBS and NBC channels were also simulcast on channels 10.6 and 10.7, originating on the main transmitter of Standard Media’s KLKN/8 (Lincoln).

KOLN upgraded from 28kW to 66.1kW during the reconstruction and was rebuilt its previous antenna height of 454 meters above average terrain. It transmits from a site 25 miles west of downtown Lincoln.

KSNB-TV, which is licensed to Superior and currently transmits from a site near York, has a construction permit to move its transmitter to the KOLN site and move to RF channel 24, using 260kW at 430 meters above average terrain.

There has been no indication when KSNB will move to the new site. It will change its community of license to York as part of the process.