KDES-FM back on-the-air after wind toppled tower

KDES-FM was back on-the-air on Thursday after high winds toppled their transmission tower on Edom Hill in Cathedral City on Wednesday.

“Winds were whipping the hill most of the day,” said Program Director Danny Fox. “The tower fell down, and the radio station went off the air around 4 p.m.”

Fox said engineers put up a temporary tower Thursday morning and began transmitting a signal again at 10:20am. He said KDES-FM is looking at getting a more permanent and stronger tower in the future.

KDES-FM broadcasts on 98.5 FM and plays music from the 60s-80s.

A classical music station that used the same tower was still off-the-air on Thursday.

KPSC-FM (88.5) is owned by the University of Southern California and is a repeater of KUSC-FM, which broadcasts classical music.

Engineers said they were working to set up a temporary transmitter as quickly as possible.