PRESS RELEASE: COMMUNITY RADIO KNSJ 89.1 FM SUFFERED CATASTROPHIC DAMAGE WHEN WINTER STORM TOPPLED ITS RENTED TOWER
A KNSJ fundraising campaign has been created. Click Here to Donate.
February 27, 2026
Our volunteers have confirmed that the American Tower Company’s tower on Monument Peak at 6,200 ft. elevation collapsed in the February winter storm due to severe ice accumulation and wind. The tower where KNSJ rented space since beginning broadcasting on July 4th, 2013, is now a crumpled pile of steel and cabling. The tower also hosted two cell phone transfer stations, for AT&T and T-Mobile, as well as several other smaller clients. KNSJ was the only broadcast station on the tower. KNSJ is still streaming online, but restoring our broadcast signal will require urgent funding for engineering, equipment, and a possible new site.
DEVASTATING EXPENSE
There is no way yet to assess the total losses KNSJ will sustain from this catastrophic collapse, which happened through no fault of our own. For the last six years, our antenna has been brutalized by falling ice from the new installations above us, resulting in thousands of dollars in damage and time off the air. We had developed a strategy to overcome this problem when tragedy struck.
PROGNOSIS: BIG EXPENSES AHEAD
It initially cost KNSJ supporters and donors upwards of $50,000 (in 2013 dollars) in labor and equipment to establish ourselves at this location. The station was built without any outside funding from grants or foundations. Since 2013, hundreds of hours of labor have been spent maintaining and improving our installation with the most recent engineering provided by KNSJ’s chief engineer, Tony McDaid, and regular consulting services by Chris Durso. Chris Durso, a radio engineer formerly with KPBS, speculates that rebuilding the tower will take more than one year, adding “if ever,” suggesting that the American Tower Company may not rebuild.
A VERY DIFFICULT CHALLENGE
This bleak assessment means that KNSJ could be off the air for one year, which could exceed the legally permitted time the FCC allows for a full-power radio station to be silent. We have already begun seeking an alternative site; even if that move is temporary, it will be costly. Monument Peak was the ideal place for our antenna when we first applied with the FCC for the station because it had a line of sight to the Pacific Ocean as the highest peak in southern San Diego County and has provided a signal all the way down to the shore and downtown San Diego, and reached from Tijuana up the coast to Highway 52 to the north.
INDEPENDENT MEDIA IS CRITICAL
The destruction of our broadcasting capability comes at a most unfortunate juncture. After receiving a generous seed money grant from the Prebys Foundation to support independent media and journalism, KNSJ was in the process of dramatically expanding its vision and role in San Diego and the Imperial Valley. KNSJ’s Steering Committee, as well as its parent license holder, Activist San Diego, firmly believe that independent media will play a crucial role in defending democracy and freedom of speech in these troubled times. KNSJ has been reaching out to other independent and non-profit media outlets to initiate collaborations and a future consortium to share resources, believing that we can all be stronger, and more sustainable working together.
KNSJ PHONE APP COMING SOON!
KNSJ was already planning to increase its online presence through a phone app (with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto enabled) that will give listeners not only easy access to programming from anywhere in the world, but also an opportunity to communicate with station management. This phone app is expected to go live in the next 60-90 days and will provide 24/7 news and public affairs on one channel and 24/7 locally curated music on another. To sign up to be notified when the app is available for download, please visit: https://news.knsj.org/sign-up-to-be-notified/
A monumental fundraising campaign has already been created, with the intent to rebuild the broadcasting side of KNSJ and build out two smaller FM stations in the Imperial Valley. The tower may have collapsed, but certainly not the will and determination of our KNSJ producers, listeners, and supporters who depend on the free flow of information to guide their civic engagement. To contribute any amount and share with family and friends, please visit us HERE.
Donations can also be made via check made payable to: Activist San Diego (a registered non-profit), PO Box 5631, San Diego, CA 92165. Add KNSJ to the checks memo line.
Martin Eder 619-871-9354 Martin@KNSJ.org
Marie Johnson 619-283-1100 marie@KNSJ.org
