History of Learfield: Moving the Satellite Dish
We’d built a first-rate satellite system. We were the first land-line-free network in America. The original installation was at “the farm” near Marion, Mo. So as we were building the new building, Charlie Peters got FCC permission to locate this high-powered up-link at our new building in Jefferson City. The question was: how best to move it. There were several choices:
- Tear it down and rebuild it at the new site
- Load it onto a truck bed and move it on surface streets
- Hire a helicopter firm specializing in this and move it.
Tearing it down was expensive and time consuming. The ten-meter dish couldn’t be moved on surface streets because of height and width restrictions. So, we chose the helicopter. Meantime crowds had gathered in Jefferson City to watch. News teams were there. There was great anticipation. My son, Matt, was part of the team at Marion and filmed the event:
–clyde
I remember watching this “historical” video in the Learfield conference room back in 1994. I don’t think I had laughed so hard in my life and I still talk about this legendary footage today. To me, it’s another confirmation that WKRP in Cincinnati was a documentary and not a sitcom.
Thanks for sharing, Clyde!
I want to laugh and cry as I watch this video. I remember this day SO well and Charlie’s body language says so much about the discouraging situation. Since you seem to have full disclosure on this blog, I’m interested in how much this incident cost Learfield.
I remember it like it was yesterday and it still gives me chills. It was a VERY quiet ride back from the crash site to the farm with Charlie.
Roger showed me the video for this back when it first happened. It is still painful to watch after all this time! I think Matt’s video comments probably sum it up best … Thanks for sharing this Clyde.