Why did Thomas Sharp, the founder of Sharp Healthcare, build a tower that resembled a shorter version of his KFSD/KOGO AM 600 radio towers? The answer stands before us at the Transmitter Site in San Diego. This site, originally home to the KFSD-TV tower, later KOGO-TV, and now KGTV, has a rich history intertwined with San Diego’s broadcasting landscape. The Transmitter Site’s story began in 1953 when Thomas Sharp erected the 264-foot self-supporting Dresser-Ideco television tower. This tower, while shorter, mirrors the design of the twin 416-foot Dresser-Ideco towers used by Sharp’s radio station, KFSD/KOGO AM 600. The Transmitter Site isn’t just about television. It has become a hub for FM radio, housing the combined FM antenna for KMYI, KYXY, KSON, and KIOZ. KMYI, originally KFSD-FM then KOGO-FM, joined the Transmitter Site family in 1974, relocating from the Emerald Hills KOGO 600 facility. In 2007, KYXY migrated from the KFMB Channel 8 tower, and KSSX moved from its lower Soledad location at UCSD, both finding a new home at the Transmitter Site. KSON, originally KSDO-FM, had already been licensed to the site since the early 1960s. Lastly, KIOZ completed the FM lineup in 1999, also transitioning from the KFMB Channel 8 tower. Even beyond radio and television, the Transmitter Site plays a vital role in communication. An H-shaped tower, specifically designed for microwave transmissions, serves as the primary tower for KSSX. Today, the Transmitter Site, along with the Mount Soledad transmitter, remains under the ownership of Scripps Broadcasting, a testament to its continued importance in broadcasting.
Sweetwater River
From high in the Cuyamaca Mountains, the Sweetwater River begins its journey. It’s a 55-mile trek to the Pacific, a