Tempting materials at tower sites continue to attract the attention of thieves, but criminals in Alabama have distinguished themselves with the brazen theft of a whole tower. As Radio World reports, an entire 200-foot tower has disappeared, along with all the on-site transmission equipment.
The missing tower once stood in Jasper, AL, home of WJLX-AM. General Manager, Brett Elmore, was dumbfounded by the loss of the steel tower and questioned how no one seemed to notice it being removed from the site.
A bush hog operator, reporting for clean-up duty at the station, instead had to inform Elmore of the destruction he discovered. “When he arrived, he called and notified me that not only was my building vandalized, but my 200-foot tower was gone!” exclaimed Elmore. “They stole every piece of equipment out of the building, cut the guy wires to the tower and somehow managed to down a 200-foot tower and take it from the property.”
The AM station has an FM counterpart, according to Radio World, and Elmore noted that his engineers planned to file for special temporary authority with the FCC. The authorization would allow the station to declare a silent AM status but allow the FM translator to keep operating while the station owners decide how to proceed.
The Jasper Police Department is investigating the vandalism and theft of the tower, but has not yet announced any suspects.
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