KEYC TV and its affiliate FOX Mankato are off the air to most viewers and likely will be for another day or two because of problems on a transmission line.

For longtime General Manager Denny Wahlstrom, it’s the kind of event he’d hoped would never come.

“It’s not a good thing. This is the first time in 48 years we’ve been off like this. We’ve had some glitches, but never this long.”

The problem started Monday when electrical arcing burned out part of a transmission line on a tower in Lewisville. The burnout happened about 200 feet up the 1,100-foot tower.

An engineer on Tuesday recommended shutting the tower down to prevent more damage, leading to the screens going dark for about 70 percent of the 148,000 households that can normally receive KEYC or FOX Mankato.

Crews were assessing the damage Wednesday and determining what parts would need to be overnight delivered from a firm in Maine.

For the complete story, see Thursday's print edition or e-edition.