Crane collapses during Oklahoma City station’s renovation

A crane attempting to remove a large curved LED sign from the outside of the future home of Oklahoma City’s CBS affiliate KWTV tipped over Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022, causing some minor injuries and damage.

Two cranes were attempting to remove a large LED billboard from the corner of what’s known as Century Center on West Main Street. 

The larger of the two tipped over during the process, effectively pinning the smaller one under it. 

One person in the larger crane sustained minor injuries and was taken to the hospital, while two workers in the smaller one were not hurt. 

It appears, based on footage KWTV aired on its newscast, that portions of the building sustained minor damage from the heavy LED billboard striking it.

The display unit ended up essentially diagonal until crews could come in and resolve the issue.

The incident interrupted traffic during much of the day and evening.

This rendering of the Century City building released in 2021 appears to still feature the curved LED billboard.

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When Griffin announced the project in 2021, the renderings it released showed the curved LED signage still in place on the exterior of the building showcasing the station’s logo.

It’s not clear, however, if the station plans to reinstall a similar unit on the corner of the building.

It’s possible the billboard had been damaged or was nearing the end of its lifecycle so the station opted to remove it. It could have also been being removed for repair or updates for re-installation later — or the Griffin may have opted not to keep it for any number of reasons. 

KWTV originally planned to move into the new building in 2022 and spend around $3.4 million renovating the space, plus $7 million on broadcast equipment. The organization plans to begin moving staff to the building in October with a full launch later this fall. 

The station did receive tax incentives from the city totaling around $2.7 million.