Edward Grebow to Leave Sony To Lead Effort to Find Site for New York TV Tower

MTVA Names Edward Grebow of Sony To Lead Effort to Find Site forTV Tower The Metropolitan Television Alliance (MTVA) announcedtoday it has named Edward Grebow president. The MTVA is a coalition ofNew York City area broadcast TV stations trying to find a site for anew TV tower to replace the one destroyed atop the World Trade Centeron September 11th.

Mr. Grebow will leave his position as deputy president of SonyElectronics Inc., where he has served since 1999 as the highest-rankingAmerican of the giant Japanese electronics company. He has spent morethan 14 years in the television industry. Prior to his working forSony, he was executive vice president of operations and administrationfor CBS, president and CEO of TELE-TV Systems, and president and CEO ofChryron Corp.

William Baker, MTVA Chairman and President of WNET-TV, Channel 13,noted that obtaining a chief executive of Mr. Grebow's stature in thetelevision and electronics industry was indicative of the seriousnessof the present situation with regard to broadcast capabilities, fortelevision stations and for emergency service communications such aspolice and fire.

"I am joining the Metropolitan Television Alliance," Mr. Grebow, 52,said, "because I have a desire to engage in public service. Restoringthe broadcast capabilities lost in the destruction of the World TradeCenter is vital to the well being and safety of the residents of thetri-state area."

Since the loss of the WTC antenna, the stations have beenbroadcasting from atop the Empire State Building, most at lower power.About 700,000 New York City residents and well over a million people inthe tri-state area who do not have cable or satellite TV receive pooror no reception of one or more broadcast channels. The MTVA is seekinga new primary site for a TV tower. The new site must be within 3.2miles of the World Trade Center to avoid interfering with signals fromother cities.

The MTVA views Governors Island as the best location within thisnarrow radius, but have been exploring other possible sites in New YorkCity and New Jersey.

"This is not just an issue of somebody missing a favorite sitcom,"Mr. Grebow noted. "Most people depend on TV for news, and most of thosewith unacceptable reception are the poor or elderly who cannot affordcable or satellite TV.

"Furthermore, we've learned from 9/11 that we need redundantbroadcast antennas, especially with regard to police, fire and otheremergency service communications," he said.

"When the World Trade Center collapsed, the Fire Department lostits ability to communicate, and millions of people were without TV inthe critical and frightening hours following the disaster," Mr. Grebowsaid. "It is imperative that we erect a new broadcast tower as quicklyand expeditiously as possible."