Television stations sign leases at Empire State Building.

The Empire State Building announced that the metropolitan area television stations have signed up to 15-year lease and license agreements with the building, including WNBC/Channel 4, WYNW/Channel 5, WABC/Channel 7, WWOR/Channel 9, WPIX/Channel 11, WNET/Channel 13, WPXN/Channel 31, WXTV/Channel 41, WNJU/Channel 47 and WFUT/Channel 68, joining WCBS/Channel 2, which had an existing lease.

The television stations will broadcast both analog and digital (HDTV) signals from the Empire State Building, according to Howard J. Rubenstein, spokesman for the Empire State Building and Helmsley-Spear, its managing agent.

Additionally, three FM radio stations, WKTU (Clear Channel), WPAT (Spanish Broadcasting) and WNYC (Public Radio), have signed long-term agreements with the world-famous landmark as their primary broadcast facility. WKTU, WPAT and WNYC join WAXQ, WBAI, WBIX, WBLS, WCAA, WCBS-FM, WHTZ, WLTW, WNEW, WPLJ, WQCD, WQHT, WQXR, WRKS, WSKQ and WXRK, existing FM broadcasters at the building.

"The Empire State Building, in addition to its favorable height, is centrally located to serve the required New York television broadcasting activity," said Rubenstein. "For more than 30 years, before the World Trade Center was built, the Empire State Building was the primary site for most New York television broadcasters, and had been the primary site for most New York FM radio broadcasters for more than 50 years.

We are honored to partner again with these TV and FM broadcasters and appreciate their ongoing commitment to the building."

As part of a $6 million upgrade, steel beams will be installed to reinforce the giant mast and 204-foot antenna atop the tower.

In addition, the building's owners are bringing more electrical capacity to the top of the building, as well as converting office space on the 77th, 78th and 79th floors into transmission stations, to accommodate the broadcasters.

The Helmsley-Spear team, representing the landlord in these intricate and complex transactions, consisted of Stephen Tole, Thomas Sullivan, Alexander Smirnoff and Hani Salama, under the supervision of John Trainor.

In the wake of the Sept. 11 tragedy, the building immediately acted to provide the power, space and infrastructure necessary for these television and FM broadcasters. The building management made it an immediate priority to fully accommodate all of the tri-state metropolitan area broadcasters, so as to preserve over the air TV transmission throughout the greater New York City area.