Sharp's Ridge
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Sharp's Ridge is the name of a steep ridge about three miles (5km) long, north of downtown Knoxville, Tennessee. The highest ground point on the ridge is an abandoned fire tower located at 1,391 feet (424 m) above mean sea level. The ridge itself averages 100 feet (30 m) above the surrounding valley floor, and is classified as a public park maintained by the Knoxville chapter of the Tennessee Ornithology Society. The park is accessible by Sharp's Ridge Road.
[edit] Communications Hub
Sharp's Ridge is the transmitting antenna farm for eleven of Knoxville's twelve analog and digital television stations, all of which broadcast from very noticeable towers in an antenna farm along the ridge.
The tallest tower, located on the highest point of Sharp's Ridge, is 1,425 feet (430 m) tall and is licensed by the FCC as "Spectracite Tower Knoxville," built by Spectracite Towers, Incorporated. The structure is owned by American Tower, which leases it to WATE-TV Channel 6, whose "batwing" antenna is at the top (the station also operates WATE-DT digital Channel 26 also on this tower). Also located on this tower is WTNZ-TV Channel 43, WBIR-DT, digital Channel 31, and low-power TV station WKXE-LP Channel 4 with their antennas all broadcasting from the top.
The second tallest tower is FCC-licensed as "Richland Towers Tower Lonsdale." It is 1,352 feet (412 m) tall, with a candelabra antenna platform at the top. It is owned by Richland Towers, Incorporated, which leases it to WVLT-TV Channel 8, (which also operates WVLT-DT digital Channel 30), and WKOP-TV Channel 15 (which also operates WKOP-DT digital Channel 17), whose antennas all broadcast from the candelabra array at the top. The "Lonsdale" reference in the license, refers to the Knoxville neighborhood in the valley just below the tower.
The third tallest tower on Sharp's Ridge is 1,345 feet (410 m) and is FCC-licensed as "Gannett Pacific Tower Knoxville." It is owned by the Gannett Pacific Corporation, licensee of WBIR-TV, whose Channel 10 analog antenna broadcasts from the top.
Although the tower heights vary from ground level to ground level, the antennas on top of all three of these towers raise the total tower heights to around 1,505 to 1,525 feet (460 to 465 m) above ground for all three (The "Richland Towers Tower Lonsdale" is actually built on lower ground than the other two, and is technically, a taller tower to reach the total heights of the other two).
The fourth largest tower is somewhat shorter than its broadcasting counterparts at 1,153 feet (351 m) tall, and is FCC-licensed as "Young Broadcasting Tower Knoxville." It is located within 50 feet of the "Spectracite Tower Knoxville," virtually standing beside it. This tower with its identifiable "batwing" antenna at the top is the tower that WATE-TV, Channel 6 formerly broadcast from. It is now the station's backup tower and antenna.
The fifth tallest tower, the "South Central Communications Tower Knoxville," is 1,017 feet (310 m) , and is owned by South Central Communications, licensee of low power TV station WEZK-LP, Channel 28. On that tower is also the antenna for WMAK-DT, Channel 7. This is also the tower that WTVK-TV, Channel 26 formerly broadcast from (that station is now WVLT-TV, Channel 8). A much smaller 800 foot (240 m) self-supporting broadcasting tower is also located beside the "Gannett Pacific Tower Knoxville." That is the tower that WBIR-TV formerly broadcast from, also with a "batwing" array on its antenna at the top.
The Sharp's Ridge antenna farm is also the transmitting location for two Class C FM radio stations, WJXB-FM 97.5, whose antenna is located on the South Central Communications tower, and non-commercial WUOT-FM 91.9, with its antenna located on the "Richland Towers Tower Lonsdale" site. One Class A FM radio station, WKHT-FM 104.5, one Class D FM station W244AT at 96.7 and another Class D FM station W275AD at 102.9 all broadcast from the "Spectracite Tower Knoxville" site.
Various Knoxville city, Knox County, Tennessee state government agencies, and cellular telephone companies also transmit base-to-mobile communications, from towers on Sharp's Ridge far shorter than the ones listed above..
