The proliferation of cell phone usage brought with it a hidden human cost- the lives of cell phone tower climbers lost during installation and servicing of the antennas. A total of almost 100 climbers lost their lives in cell tower-related incidents in the decade before a documentary, “Cell Tower Deaths,” was released in 2012. This was a rate ten times higher than the average for construction workers, highlighting the danger that these climbers face daily.
The investigative report by FRONTLINE, in partnership with ProPublica, examined 50 cell-related deaths, many of which were linked to pressure to cut corners from supervisors. However, the layers of subcontracting within the industry made it difficult for safety inspectors to determine who was most at fault in these fatal incidents.
The documentary was written and produced by Travis Fox and reported by FRONTLINE’s Ryan Knutson and ProPublica’s Liz Day. Martin Smith was the senior producer and correspondent for the series, with Raney Aronson-Rath serving as the series senior producer at the time of the documentary. Meanwhile, the executive producer of Frontline in 2012 was David Fanning.