An Alabama radio station was forced to temporarily shut down after thieves stole a 200-foot-tall radio tower. The Guardian reports: The Guardian first learned that WJLX, a station in Jasper, Alabama, was ordered off the air by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) after robbers took over the station's AM tower last week. “In all my years of business and business, I have never seen anything like this,” WJLX general manager Brett Elmore told the Guardian. “You don't hear about 200-foot towers being stolen,” he added.
Elmore said the theft was first discovered last week by landscaping crews who regularly maintain the area near the tower, WBRC reported. “They called me and said the tower was gone, and I said, 'What do you mean the tower is gone?'” Elmore said. This radio tower was previously located in a wooded area behind a local chicken farm. Elmore said the thieves cut the tower's wires and somehow removed it. The thief also stole the station's AM transmitter from a nearby building.
For small radio stations, the theft had a significant impact. Elmore said the station's assets were not insured. Replacing the tower could cost $100,000 to $150,000, which is “more money than we have,” Elmore said. The FCC also notified WJLX Thursday morning that it must go off the air due to theft. WJLX still has an FM transmitter and tower, but he is not allowed to operate the FM transmitter while the AM station is not on the air. “Yesterday, a guy from Virginia called me and said, 'I think a helicopter grabbed someone.' [the tower]Elmore hopes surveillance video from a nearby chicken farm and nearby witnesses will help uncover who stole the station tower.
