After tower collapse, PBS restored to some Springfield homes — others could have long wait

Officials said Monday they have no estimate for how long it will take to restore Ozarks Public Television service to all Springfield viewers.

The TV tower in Fordland that Missouri State University used to broadcast KOZK Ozarks Public Television collapsed Thursday while crews were working on it.

Officials say Steve Lemay, 56, died in the tower collapse and several other workers suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

As multiple agencies investigate what caused the tower collapse, Ozarks Public Television is working to restore service to households.

MSU spokeswoman Suzanne Shaw said Monday some Springfield viewers — those with AT&T U-verse, Mediacom and DirecTV — should now be able to watch Ozarks Public Television.

Shaw said the station is doing some troubleshooting and is hoping to broadcast again soon on Dish Network.

As for "over-the-air" viewers who use antennas to get TV channels, Shaw said she did not know when those households would again be able to watch Ozarks Public Television.

Shaw said MSU was exploring the possibility of teaming up with another broadcaster in the area and putting some Ozarks Public Television equipment on their tower. But no plans had been finalized as of Monday.

Shaw encouraged people to visit OPTV.org in the coming days for updates on the progress.

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