Current:Home > MyA 200-foot radio tower in Alabama is reportedly stolen. The crime has police baffled. -ProfitQuest Academy
A 200-foot radio tower in Alabama is reportedly stolen. The crime has police baffled.
View
Date:2025-04-16 20:39:17
A 200-foot radio tower in Alabama was stolen and has gone missing without a trace, taking down an AM station with it. The crime left the station's radio manager and police blown away and confused, according to media outlets.
“I have tried all weekend to figure it out, and I just can’t," Brett Elmore, the station's general manager of WJLX’s AM Station in Jasper, Alabama, said in a statement. "I have been in the radio business, around it all my life and then in it professionally for 26 years, and I can say I have never heard of anything like this. I can say I’ve seen it all now.”
According to the statement, Elmore learned about the theft of WJLX's tower on last Friday. A landscaping company went down to the tower on Feb. 2, which was located in a wooded area behind a local poultry plant, reports the Guardian, to clean up the property. But when they got there, they realized someone else had done it and taken way more than they needed to.
According to the Guardian, Elmore believes the thieves stole the tower to make money off selling the metal.
The GM told the Guardian that around six months ago, a different station that was close by had an AC unit, copper pipes, and other materials stolen from them. Elmore is not sure if the two are connected.
When speaking with the media outlet, Elmore added that Jasper has always supported its local stations.
"The sad part is that Jasper has always been a radio town," he told the Guardian.
More radio news:Radio crew's 'bathwater' stunt leads to Jacob Elordi being accused of assault in Australia
Radio tower stolen: How much will it cost to replace?
The station has started a GoFundMe to help recuperate the cost of the tower.
Since the property wasn't insured, Elmore believes it would cost $60,000 to replace the tower, according to a statement on the station's GoFundMe.
It's "more money than we have," he told the Guardian.
So far, they have raised $766 out of the $60,000 required.
"This is a major setback for a small operation like ours," said Elmore in a statement. "But I have faith that we will uncover the culprits. This is a federal crime, and they will realize it wasn’t worth it.”
Radio silent: Station forced off-air due to reported theft
On the station's website, it reports that it was trying to work with the FCC for temporary authority to continue business as usual on FM radio while they rebuild their tower and get back onto the AM side of the radio
But Thursday morning, the FCC told them they would not be allowed to broadcast. While the station does have an FM transmitter and tower, the FCC said they would have to go off the air since it isn't allowed to operate on the FM side of things while their AM station is off-air, reports the Guardian.
“Now we’re silent, but we won’t be silent for long," Elmore said to the Guardian. "I’m gonna work tirelessly to get this thing back up and running, one way or the other.”
It's unclear how long the rebuild process will actually take, Alabama news outlet WSFA reports. According to a statement given to WSFA by the radio station, they did shut down their FM tower, but the station will continue to its broadcast online.
Investigation into stolen radio tower underway
The Guardian says Elmore is still hopeful that more will be revealed, either on surveillance video from the poultry factory or a witness who worked at the plant and saw what happened.
In the station's statement, they confirmed that the Jasper Police Department is investigating the tower theft.
They're urging anyone with information regarding the incident to contact either JPD at 205-221-2122 or Crime Stoppers at 205-221-505.
veryGood! (2)
Related
- Retirement planning: 3 crucial moves everyone should make before 2025
- Baton Rouge Metro Councilman LaMont Cole to lead Baton Rouge schools
- Recall of Boar’s Head deli meats announced during investigation of listeria outbreak
- Damages to college athletes to range from a few dollars to more than a million under settlement
- Military service academies see drop in reported sexual assaults after alarming surge
- Senators call on Federal Trade Commission to investigate automakers’ sale of driving data to brokers
- Jensen Ackles returns to 'The Boys' final season, stars in 'Vought Rising' spinoff
- ‘Gen Z feels the Kamalove': Youth-led progressive groups hope Harris will energize young voters
- South Korea's acting president moves to reassure allies, calm markets after Yoon impeachment
- Video shows escape through flames and smoke as wildfire begins burning the outskirts of Idaho town
Ranking
- Current, future North Carolina governor’s challenge of power
- French rail system crippled before start of Olympics: See where attacks occurred
- Senators call on Federal Trade Commission to investigate automakers’ sale of driving data to brokers
- Tennessee man convicted of inmate van escape, as allegations of sex crimes await court action
- Megan Fox's ex Brian Austin Green tells Machine Gun Kelly to 'grow up'
- Wisconsin DNR says emerald ash borer find in Burnett County means beetle has spread across state
- Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony in primetime: Highlights, updates from NBC's replay
- Olympic medals today: What is the medal count at 2024 Paris Games on Friday?
Recommendation
The city of Chicago is ordered to pay nearly $80M for a police chase that killed a 10
Recall of Boar’s Head deli meats announced during investigation of listeria outbreak
Michigan’s top court throws out 2006 conviction linked to shaken baby syndrome
The city of Atlanta fires its human resources chief over ‘preferential treatment’ of her daughter
Arkansas State Police probe death of woman found after officer
Man charged with starting massive wildfire in California as blazes burn across the West
Rosalía and Jeremy Allen White, Lady Gaga: See the celebrities at the 2024 Olympics
Celine Dion makes musical comeback at Paris Olympics with Eiffel Tower serenade