Wednesday 22 May 2024

Put Another Spin On It

 

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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