2. Project Description (excerpts)
Sutro Tower, Inc. ... has operated this facility continuously since the initial construction under a Conditional Use authorization issued by the City and County of San Francisco on March 10, 1966.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) determined that the Sutro Tower location provides the maximum television broadcast coverage for home reception in the San Francisco area ... and was therefore designated as the prime facility for San Francisco stations. Sutro Tower, Inc. was accordingly organized ... between its four San Francisco television stations owners.
The 977 foot-tall tower is located at an elevation of about 834 feet above sea level. The total height to the top of the tower above sea level is about 1,811 feet.
1. Enabling Sutro Tower, Inc. ... to
(i) comply with the DTV implementation standards, technical specifications and timetables (scheduled for October 1998) established in the FCC's long-running proceeding for this purpose (FCC Mass Media Docket No. 87-268).
(ii) provide optimal broadcast television signal placement for San Francisco and surrounding Bay Area communities, and
(iii) provide maximum community broadcast service from the television stations at Sutro Tower, by maximum household signal reception or "reach," ...
...
The project would install a new antenna system able to accommodate a second set of broadcasts from the ten existing television stations on Sutro Tower. The second set of antennas would broadcast DTV signals from Sutro Tower in addition to the NTSC signals until such time as the FCC required termination of the NTSC signals.
...
In addition to the regular radiofrequency emissions from Sutro Tower, most of the stations have "standby" auxiliary antennas on the tower. ... Currently these antennas are used on an infrequent basis ... The auxiliary antennas are mounted at the first rung (Level 2) of Sutro Tower. ... No additional auxiliary antennas are proposed at this time.
[Webmaster's comment: Presumably all stations would have to install auxiliary DTV antennas at some future date, because when all broadcasts are DTV rather than analog, auxiliary DTV antenna(s) would be required just as auxiliary analog antennas are required today. The EIR does not address this.]
... Objective 2 of the Commerce and Industry Element [of the San Francisco General Plan] states. "Maintain and enhance a sound and diverse economic base and fiscal structure for the city." ... Objective 12 of the Residence Element states "To provide a quality living environment." ...
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