Reverend Rex Humbard started out as a tent revival preacher.
He moved to TV ministry in 1952. As his popularity grew, so did his ambition. In
1958 he built a 5,000-seat, $4 million “Cathedral of Tomorrow” in northeast
Ohio. By 1970, Humbard’s program appeared on nearly 400 stations in North
America and was broadcast overseas in 91 languages. Adjacent to his cathedral, Humbard
planned his own television station: WCOT-TV. “Since I have to build a tower for
my new channel,” he reasoned, “why not one that’ll do more than just sit
there?” He’d seen the 626-foot Calgary Tower while visiting Canada, and decided
Ohio needed one even taller. At the top, he planned recording studios, an observation
platform, and a rotating restaurant. Construction started in 1971, but ended
two months later when the Reverend’s ministry ran into legal and economic
trouble. Today, at just a fraction of its intended height, the edifice serves as a
cell phone tower.
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