After a lightning strike damaged the WUFT-TV transmitter and took its over-the-air channels down on Sept. 25, the station announced Monday that it is back up and running.
According to WUFT Community Relations Coordinator Sue Wagner, a new transmitter was installed.
“Please re-scan your device to access 5.1, 5.2 and 5.3,” Wagner said in an email to Mainstreet. “WUFT-TV is once again broadcasting over the air thanks to the installation of a new transmitter.”
Wagner said that further testing may be necessary, but that the tests can be scheduled to minimize disruption to regular programming.
The former transmitter, located on NW 53rd Avenue in Gainesville, was damaged due to a lightning strike on Sept. 25.
On Sept. 26, WUFT posted on its Facebook page that, “The WUFT-TV transmitter experienced a power surge and engineers are troubleshooting the problem. Currently, WUFT 5.1, 5.2 and 5.3 are not broadcasting over the air. Some of the signals are still available on the Watch Live page, PBS Passport, and cable and streaming services. Create TV content is available at createtv.com. Stay tuned for updates.”