Lightning struck the WPXT studio in Westbrook late last night, knocking out transmission equipment and telephone lines, and frying some of the TV station’s computers.
The station has managed to continue broadcasting over Time Warner Cable through a fiber optic network, but Direct TV, Dish Network and over-the-air viewers will have to wait until Saturday to watch their favorite programs on the local CW affiliate.
“It took out a very important piece of equipment that feeds our transmitter up in Gray, so that transmitter is off the air and is going to remain off the air until we get a new piece of equipment tomorrow,” said Jim Ledger, the chief engineer at the station.
WPME was unaffected, Ledger said.
The lightning strike occurred between 10 and 10:30 p.m. Thursday. It took out the station’s phone lines, which were restored at about 1:30 p.m. today, as well as a number of computers.
“We had computers here that got fried, and a computer right next to it is working fine,” Ledger said.
Ledger estimated the total damage will be in “the double digit thousands.”
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