On September 11 , 2001 , the transmitter facilities of WABC-TV , as well as eight other local television stations and several radio stations , were destroyed when two hijacked airplanes crashed into and destroyed the north and south towers of the World Trade Center . WABC-TV 's transmitter maintenance engineer Donald DiFranco died in the attack . In the immediate aftermath , the station fed its signal to WNYE-TV , WHSE-TV , WHSI-TV , WNJN , WNJB , WNJT , WNJS , W43CH-D , W49BE-D and W35DK-D before establishing temporary facilities at the Armstrong Tower in Alpine , New Jersey . The station eventually re-established transmission facilities at the Empire State Building , its original home when it signed on the air in 1948
hijacked airplanes crashed
September 11 attacks
WABC-TV