FCC chairman climbs WKRG broadcast tower to highlight, promote industry

SPANISH FORT, Ala. (WKRG) — Federal Communications Commission chair Brendan Carr, is on a mission straight to the top of WKRG News 5's 1865-foot tall broadcast tower.

Carr, who was tapped to lead the commission by President Trump, took a trip to Spanish Fort on a foggy Monday morning to highlight an industry a lot of folks may not know exists.

"If we are going to continue to expand connectivity we need a lot more tower climbers," Carr said. "It's a great job. It's a good-paying job and it's a career."

After a harness and safety check, he took a 20-minute ride in a lift called a "pan" and transferred onto the Nexstar tower where the real work of climbing began.

Only around 200 people climb and maintain these massive broadcast towers nationwide. On this day, there were 201.

"It is always a fun experience to get up in the air and hang with a tower crew," Carr said.

Army veteran and now tower technician Hasani Hogan was also on that crew.

"What a guy. It shows his bravery, his abilities and his commitment to the broadcast industry and our guys that do this," he said of Carr. "He has done it before and is willing to do it again."

After almost an hour and a half, the FCC chair was back on the ground but still looking up. "It was fantastic with Hasani and his crew. They're getting amazing work done."

His mission to bring attention to that work is now accomplished.

The climb also comes as the agency is probing NPR and PBS over their alleged "airing of commercials" — which the administration has argued is against federal regulations for public broadcasters.

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