See What Lightning Did To The Brand New KTDY Broadcast Antenna [PICTURES]

KTDY recently replaced an aging broadcast antenna 1200 feet in the air, high above Parks, Louisiana.  Costing over a quarter million dollars, not quite 3 months old, it's been struck by lightning several times.

KTDY signed on September 15, 1966 as KPEL-FM.  In early 1977, the call letters were changed to KTDY.  In the 80s a new building was built at 1749 Bertrand, using state of the art equipment at the studio and transmitter sites.  The studio alone, costing over a million dollars.  At the time, considered an exceptional amount of money for a broadcast facility.  The format also changed to compete with the CHR in the market.

Located in Parks, Louisiana near Breaux Bridge, the transmitter site now houses three transmitters and multiple antennas.  Until recently, the antenna put up during the upgrades in the 80s, was still being used to send out KTDY's 100,000 watt signal.  Costing over a quarter million dollars, the KTDY antenna and enormous coaxial cable attached to it, were replace making KTDY one of the best signals in the market.

FM frequency is line-of-site.  So if the antenna can see you, you can catch us.  This is a photo taken from the top of the KTDY tower.  Can you see your house from here?

This spring and summer have spawned an unusual amount of thunderstorms, high winds and lightning.  The brand new KTDY antenna has fallen victim to repeated high energy lightning strikes.

The KTDY antenna is actually several different sections called bays, all linked together to form one antenna.  During a lightning storm, the top bay is usually the one that takes a beating.  You can see in this photo how one of the arms of the top bay of our antenna has been hit so hard by lightning, there is actually a hole where a hole shouldn't be.  From the transmitter below, through the cable going up to the antenna and the antenna itself, all have to be sealed air tight to hold nitrogen.  A tower crew had to go up and patch our new antenna.  It no longer has that new antenna smell.