By Jon Busdeker
It was bad enough that Hurricane Irma knocked out power across Central Florida, but taking 91.5 WPRK-FM off the air? That’s just cold, Irma.
The radio station on the campus of Rollins College in Winter Park has been off the air since the massive storm damaged the station’s antenna, according to Greg Golden, the director of student media at Rollins College.
The station, whose tagline is “The Best in Basement Radio,” has continued to offer its programming online at wprk.org.
Two cranes removed the damaged antenna from the top of Mills Memorial Hall last week. (The studios of WPRK are located in the basement.) The 30-foot antenna, which is at least 20 years old, but could be “more than 50 years old,” is now in storage, Golden said.
Rollins College officials have not decided if it’s better to re-attach the damage antenna or replace the antenna with a new one, Golden said. Insurance adjusters were on the campus this week.
A replacement antenna would cost between $15,000 and $20,000, he said.
Golden didn’t know when WPRK would be back on the air, saying it could be “a week or a month.” But he was confident the station would return to the airwaves.
WPRK is one of the region’s oldest radio stations and will celebrate its 65th anniversary in December.
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