TWiRT Ep. 786 - Ice Storm Recovery with Stan Carter & Gibson Prichard

Episode 786 of This Week in Radio Tech dives into the real-world engineering challenges and recoveries following a severe ice storm that slammed Mississippi, Tennessee, and northern Alabama. Host Kirk Harnack is joined by Stan Carter of K-LOVE and Air1 as well as Gibson Pritchard, Director of Engineering at Nashville’s WTVF NewsChannel 5, for a candid discussion of what actually failed—and what held up—when trees, power lines, and ice took their toll. Firsthand reports from transmitter sites that rode through the storm with minimal RF issues, others that relied heavily on generators, and the logistics of keeping fuel flowing day after day. Along the way, the panel shares photos, practical observations, and lessons learned from the field. The episode wraps with concrete tips to help engineers and stations prepare now for the next winter disaster—before it arrives.