Tower In Oregon Could Soon Be Both

The control tower at Rogue Vally International-Medford Airport in Oregon is visible not only on the airport grounds ... but from the the road which carries traffic by the field. With airports feeling the same budget crunch as everyone else, officials at KMFR are speculating about whether all that blank concrete can be turned into a revenue-generating opportunity.

How? Sell ads on the tower. Well ... maybe not really advertising. Airport Director Bern Case told the Associated Press that it would be corporate awareness for "somebody who would like to be involved with the community."

But no matter what you call it, Case says the airport authority is discussing the scenario with an undisclosed company who would pay some $300,000 per year on a 10 year contract to have its logo placed on all four sides of the tower. It would be seen by both people on arriving flights as well as those in cars on the adjacent street. He said it would be a small amount of revenue in the airport's $8 million budget, but since the facility receives no tax support, the revenue could help offset landing fees charged to airlines.

It makes us wonder, though, if it would change the way pilots communicate ATC at KMFR. If "naming rights" are sold for the building, would initial contact be with the "(Company X) Rogue Valley Tower?"

FMI: www.co.jackson.or.us/sectionindex.asp?sectionid=5