Out with the old, in with the new: Channel 9's St. Cloud site gets new antenna

ST. CLOUD, Fla. — It was out with the old and in with the new at Channel 9's antenna site in St. Cloud.

On Friday, Channel 9 installed a new backup antenna using a special helicopter to lift the antenna to the top of the tower.

The helicopter transported the new antenna and its base to the top of a television tower at the site, 1,800 feet into the air.

The antenna will become a main link to viewers while the station upgrades its primary transmitter coming up in December and January.

The updates are part of the Federal Communications Commission's plan to retune antennas for thousands of television stations around the United States.

A group of Channel 9's engineers put a lot of hard work into the project.

"The orange mark is the direction that the antenna will point," said Jeff Juniet, an engineer for Channel 9.

Juniet said this is a backup site and the replacement should allow for better coverage for viewers in Osceola County. The replacement should not disrupt service for viewers.