KTUL bails on Tulsa

[Red Arrow]

The National Weather Service office is in east Tulsa, not the airport.
- Boy and Girl Scout tours there over the years.

I believe a L-O-N-G time ago, the NWS had a presence on the airport.

[dbacksfan 2.0]

Sinclair is a leach. Hopefully they go broke with this and have to sell KTUL.

I went and looked and Sinclair has no presence in Arizona. The connection they had was when the Diamondbacks, Suns and Coyotes all got out of their contracts with Bally Sports Network earlier this year, and it seems that most pro teams have or are getting out of their dealings with Bally/Sinclair.

This all happened early enough in the year that the Suns and Coyotes made deals with local stations for cable and over the air broadcasts of their games, so now you don't have to have cable to watch them. The Diamondbacks I believe are in negotiations for the 2024 season broadcast rights.

[dbacksfan 2.0]

I believe a L-O-N-G time ago, the NWS had a presence on the airport.

I seem to remember them being in the building on the NE corner of Apache and Sheridan. I remember going there back in 1980 with a friend who was a HAM Radio storm chaser and taking a couple of classes on storm watching.

This was the logo they used

[Red Arrow]

I seem to remember them being in the building on the NE corner of Apache and Sheridan. I remember going there back in 1980 with a friend who was a HAM Radio storm chaser and taking a couple of classes on storm watching.
This was the logo they used

Yes, they were there then. That was 43 years ago.  Pilots could get an in-person weather briefing.  I don't remember when that ended.  I believe the FAA Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) was there too.  There may have been a small NWS personnel and equipment complement there until recently.

[dbacksfan 2.0]

Yes, they were there then. That was 43 years ago.  Pilots could get an in-person weather briefing.  I don't remember when that ended.  I believe the FAA Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) was there too.  There may have been a small NWS personnel and equipment complement there until recently.

I had a lot of interesting experiences at the airport back in the 80's when I worked for a local freight and courier company Mercury Express. I would often pickup flowers from Bebb Floral in Muskogee and then drop them off at the various air cargo docks, or pick up LD3 containers from American Airlines and take them to Penwell Publishing and then pick up the loaded containers to take back. Had a really interesting one from Penwell. Picked up a pallet of brochures for and event that were scheduled to go out on a Southwest flight. The issue became Southwest had no cargo dock, and when I got to the cargo area I was informed that I would have to drive onto the ramp area and go directly to the plane to unload. Called in on the radio what was going on and my boss told me "If you run into the plane with the truck don't bother coming back to the terminal."

Had to make a delivery to Roger Hardesty's hanger with a cabinet for storing flammable paints. When I showed up, I went to ask for help unloading it, and the person I talked to said "There's a boomlift forklift over there, just use that and set it in the back of the hanger. By the way, don't hit the Steerman or the 727 while your at it, and walked away." This was another one of those where the boss said "Screw it up and don't come back. Just leave it all there and go home."

[patric]

I believe a L-O-N-G time ago, the NWS had a presence on the airport.

This was the source I used:

Current conditions at
Tulsa, Tulsa International Airport (KTUL)
Lat: 36.2°NLon: 95.89°WElev: 676ft.

https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?textField1=36.2&textField2=-95.89

[patric]

I went and looked and Sinclair has no presence in Arizona. The connection they had was when the Diamondbacks, Suns and Coyotes all got out of their contracts with Bally Sports Network earlier this year, and it seems that most pro teams have or are getting out of their dealings with Bally/Sinclair.

This all happened early enough in the year that the Suns and Coyotes made deals with local stations for cable and over the air broadcasts of their games, so now you don't have to have cable to watch them. The Diamondbacks I believe are in negotiations for the 2024 season broadcast rights.

Sinclair Broadcast Group will pay a $48 million fine to close three investigations, including one involving the broadcaster's failed takeover of Tribune Media. 

Sinclair, a conservative broadcaster that owns 191 TV stations across the country, attempted to merge with Tribune Media in a $3.9 billion deal that fell apart in
August 2018 after FCC chairman Ajit Pai raised "serious concerns."
The FCC had raised concerns at the time that Sinclair's plans to spin off key stations during the merger to avoid reaching a federal cap on national audience may have been misleading. Pai said the agency had seen evidence that Sinclair would control "those stations in practice, even if not in name, in violation of the law."
President Trump had criticized the FCC for not approving the merger, calling it "So sad and unfair."

Sinclair sparked controversy in April 2018 when it required anchors on its stations to read a script that condemned "fake news," a favorite talking point of Trump.
https://deadspin.com/how-americas-largest-local-tv-owner-turned-its-news-anc-1824233490

Sinclair's fine will also close FCC investigations into its failure to properly identify the sponsors of material it aired on its own and other TV stations, and how
it handled negotiating agreements with other broadcasters to share programming.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/05/06/fcc-sinclair-broadcast-fine/

[Red Arrow]

This was the source I used:

Current conditions at
Tulsa, Tulsa International Airport (KTUL)
Lat: 36.2°NLon: 95.89°WElev: 676ft.
https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?textField1=36.2&textField2=-95.89

In the quote above, I changed the color but KTUL is what I see when I click on the link.  Maybe it knows I am a pilot.  (Big Brother knows everything.  I read 1984 long before the actual year 1984.   )

I am not disputing that TUL is the IATA code for Tulsa Int'l.  Perhaps I should have said that KTUL is the ICAO code for Tulsa Int'l.

There may be some NWS personnel at the airport to verify automated weather information like visibility, ceiling and other such things that are important to air traffic.

If I ask for National Weather Service Tulsa on Google Maps, it marks a building near 11th and 169.  The building shows VA (Veterans Admin).  Offices could be pretty much anywhere with the sensors still at Tulsa Int'l Airport.

Aviation software seems to know both IATA and ICAO, especially if there is a Navaid near an airport with the same name.  If I use Foreflight (Aviation navigation software) to go from RVS to TUL to OKM to RVS, it starts at Tulsa Riverside Airport (near Jenks but actually in Tulsa) then goes to the Tulsa VORTAC, then to the Okmulgee VOR/DME then back to Tulsa Riverside Airport.    There is not a Navaid with the RVS identifier so it chooses the airport.  TUL could be either the airport or the VORTAC so it chooses the VORTAC. OKM is the identifier for the VOR/DME (another type radio navigation aid) and the IATA identifier for Okmulgee Airport so it chooses the VOR/DME for navigation.

Whatever, this is getting way beyond the scope of this thread.

[swake]

In the quote above, I changed the color but KTUL is what I see when I click on the link.  Maybe it knows I am a pilot.  (Big Brother knows everything.  I read 1984 long before the actual year 1984.   )

I am not disputing that TUL is the IATA code for Tulsa Int'l.  Perhaps I should have said that KTUL is the ICAO code for Tulsa Int'l.

There may be some NWS personnel at the airport to verify automated weather information like visibility, ceiling and other such things that are important to air traffic.

If I ask for National Weather Service Tulsa on Google Maps, it marks a building near 11th and 169.  The building shows VA (Veterans Admin).  Offices could be pretty much anywhere with the sensors still at Tulsa Int'l Airport.

Aviation software seems to know both IATA and ICAO, especially if there is a Navaid near an airport with the same name.  If I use Foreflight (Aviation navigation software) to go from RVS to TUL to OKM to RVS, it starts at Tulsa Riverside Airport (near Jenks but actually in Tulsa) then goes to the Tulsa VORTAC, then to the Okmulgee VOR/DME then back to Tulsa Riverside Airport.    There is not a Navaid with the RVS identifier so it chooses the airport.  TUL could be either the airport or the VORTAC so it chooses the VORTAC. OKM is the identifier for the VOR/DME (another type radio navigation aid) and the IATA identifier for Okmulgee Airport so it chooses the VOR/DME for navigation.

Whatever, this is getting way beyond the scope of this thread.

Yes, that building on 169 is where they are. I think they have a whole floor. We took scout troops there several times.

[Red Arrow]

Yes, that building on 169 is where they are. I think they have a whole floor. We took scout troops there several times.

I'd like to get a tour of the place.  The only NWS site I've been to was at Mobile, AL in 1994.  I had some questionable weather on the way back to OK from FL.  They  were a big help and very accommodating.

[tulsabug]

Sinclair Broadcast Group will pay a $48 million fine to close three investigations, including one involving the broadcaster's failed takeover of Tribune Media. 

Sinclair, a conservative broadcaster that owns 191 TV stations across the country, attempted to merge with Tribune Media in a $3.9 billion deal that fell apart in
August 2018 after FCC chairman Ajit Pai raised "serious concerns."
The FCC had raised concerns at the time that Sinclair's plans to spin off key stations during the merger to avoid reaching a federal cap on national audience may have been misleading. Pai said the agency had seen evidence that Sinclair would control "those stations in practice, even if not in name, in violation of the law."
President Trump had criticized the FCC for not approving the merger, calling it "So sad and unfair."

Sinclair sparked controversy in April 2018 when it required anchors on its stations to read a script that condemned "fake news," a favorite talking point of Trump.
https://deadspin.com/how-americas-largest-local-tv-owner-turned-its-news-anc-1824233490

Sinclair's fine will also close FCC investigations into its failure to properly identify the sponsors of material it aired on its own and other TV stations, and how
it handled negotiating agreements with other broadcasters to share programming.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/05/06/fcc-sinclair-broadcast-fine/

Just imagine how bad a company has to be for Ajit Pai to not back them.

[dbacksfan 2.0]

Sinclair Broadcast Group will pay a $48 million fine to close three investigations, including one involving the broadcaster's failed takeover of Tribune Media.  

Sinclair, a conservative broadcaster that owns 191 TV stations across the country, attempted to merge with Tribune Media in a $3.9 billion deal that fell apart in
August 2018 after FCC chairman Ajit Pai raised "serious concerns."
The FCC had raised concerns at the time that Sinclair's plans to spin off key stations during the merger to avoid reaching a federal cap on national audience may have been misleading. Pai said the agency had seen evidence that Sinclair would control "those stations in practice, even if not in name, in violation of the law."
President Trump had criticized the FCC for not approving the merger, calling it "So sad and unfair."

Sinclair sparked controversy in April 2018 when it required anchors on its stations to read a script that condemned "fake news," a favorite talking point of Trump.
https://deadspin.com/how-americas-largest-local-tv-owner-turned-its-news-anc-1824233490

Sinclair's fine will also close FCC investigations into its failure to properly identify the sponsors of material it aired on its own and other TV stations, and how
it handled negotiating agreements with other broadcasters to share programming.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/05/06/fcc-sinclair-broadcast-fine/

A lot of this goes back to the 1996 Telecommunications Act that opened the flood gates for stations both radio and TV to get bought up by corporations. There is a good documentary about it called "Corporate FM" that goes into how radio both FM and AM became corporately owned where a small number of corps owned multiple stations and in multiple markets so that everything began to sound the same and programming was done by the corp instead of at the local level.

https://www.kcur.org/arts-life/2018-02-27/a-kansas-city-filmmakers-documentary-about-corporate-radio-gets-a-signal-boost-from-amazon

From the article:

McKinney's talking about the kind of locally owned commercial music stations where humans with entertaining personalities decided which records to play and contributed to a city's sense of place. Some of them still exist, even in Kansas City, but far fewer than communities need, McKinney's film argues.

Music lovers often blame the internet for the decline in these types of stations. After all, why would anyone listen to the potentially unpredictable radio when they can choose their own music via satellite and streaming?

But McKinney's film argues that the real reasons are more complex and predate the invention of file-sharing sites like Napster.

In 1983, he notes, 90 percent of the mass media in the United States was owned by 50 different corporations. By 2012, that 90 percent was owned by six corporations.

This type of media consolidation means fewer people decide what music, movies, and television shows we have access to. It means we have less variety. And it limits the local connection between media organizations and their audiences.