A
demolition crew today took down six radio antenna towers off Braverman Drive
that were erected decades ago when Santee hosted a cluster of locally popular
radio stations.
The 160-foot steel towers came down around 9
a.m. after crews loosened the guy wires and nudged them over with the arm of a
large excavator. Workers said only two of the six towers were still operable and
powered by electricity. They said the steel structures are destined to be taken
to a recycling yard.
A
cinder block building at the site that once functioned as a radio station for
KSDO-1130 AM will also be razed this week.
The
site is being cleared to make way for the 82-home Willow Ridge development being
built by KB Homes.
KSDO
is still broadcasting as a Spanish language Christian radio station that is
based in Chula Vista.
In
the 1980s, the station was owned by the Gannett news organization and filled
the airwaves with its new and talk format. A website of San Diego radio history
identifies Perry Allen, Whitney Allen, Scotty Brink, Jon St. John and Greg
Tantum as some of the notable voices of KSDO during its news and talk heyday. In 1986, KSDO news anchor Ernie Myers was the
San Diego region’s top-rated AM morning radio show, beating out longtime rivals
Hudson and Bauer on KFMB-AM.
Web
posts say the property was purchased for $3.5 million by Strata Equity from
Citicasters, a subsidiary of Clear Channel Communications, and resold to Watt
for $10 million.
