Towers are still the target of metal thieves, even with a decreasing price per pound of copper. Inside Radio reported that the towers for KSGL-AM/FM, in Wichita KS, are dark after hundreds of feet of copper wire were stripped from the transmitter site.
Owner Terry Atherton said he needs to fix the issue to illuminate the towers before being fined by the FAA. KSGL’s two towers are each more than 300 feet tall and currently alert pilots of potential hazards (NOTAM), so Atherton is legally required to light the towers properly.
“They don’t get much out of what they steal. But it is really something that’s devastating to the people that it happens to,” Atherton commented. “That coil that works on the light, that’s an expensive one.”
Inside Radio reported that Atherton hopes to find funds to fix the lights over the next few months. The towers are still transmitting, and the Christian radio stations (900 AM and 105.7 FM) are on the air.
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