JASPER, Ala. (TND) — An Alabama radio station reported its 200-foot tower as stolen Monday.
WJLX’s landscaping crew arrived at the property in Jasper on Feb. 2 for a routine cleanup when it noticed the tower was gone, according to the station.
“When he called me on Friday and said, ‘the tower is gone,’ I couldn’t believe it,” General Manager Brett Elmore recounted. “I asked him if he was sure he was at the right place. He responded, ‘the tower is gone.’”
The thieves cut all the tower's wires and also ransacked WJLX’s facility at the site, stealing all of its equipment, according to the station.
“I’ve been trying all weekend to make sense of it, but I just can’t,” Elmore remarked. “I’ve been involved in the radio business my whole life, and I’ve never heard of anything like this. I thought I had seen it all.”
WJLX shut down its transmitter after the Federal Communications Commission denied the AM station’s request to switch to FM radio and began streaming content solely through its webpage and apps. The station decided against insuring the site and estimates costs to rebuild it will total more than $60,000, a valuation Elmore believes motivated the bandits to take the tower metal.
“This is a major setback for a small operation like ours, but I have faith that we will uncover the culprits,” Elmore said. “This is a federal crime, and they will realize it wasn’t worth it."He noted listeners have offered to assist despite the theft’s scale.
“This is a huge loss,” Elmore told The Guardian. “People have reached out and asked how they can help, but I don’t know how you can help unless you have a 200-foot tower and an AM transmitter.”
The Jasper Police Department is investigating the theft. A spokesperson for Jasper City Hall told The National Desk (TND) Friday "investigators have not provided any reports" thus far.
Elmore proposed a neighboring poultry farm’s employees or surveillance footage may have captured the crime.
“The sad part is that Jasper has always been a radio town. They have always supported their local radio station,” Elmore said, according to The Guardian. “Now we’re silent, but we won’t be silent for long. I’m gonna work tirelessly to get this thing back up and running, one way or the other.”
Approximately six months ago, thieves reportedly swiped a nearby station’s air conditioning unit and copper pipes.
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