Current:Home > NewsA 200-foot radio tower in Alabama is reportedly stolen. The crime has police baffled. -Trailblazer Capital Learning
A 200-foot radio tower in Alabama is reportedly stolen. The crime has police baffled.
View
Date:2025-04-15 08:34:12
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! (3797)
Related
- Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
- Key points of AP report into missed red flags surrounding accused US diplomat-turned-Cuban spy
- Caitlin Clark fans can expect to pay hundreds to get in door for her run at record Thursday
- He died 7 years ago, but still sends his wife a bouquet every Valentine's Day
- IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
- Biden administration struggled to vet adults housing migrant children, federal watchdog says
- A new exhibition aims to bring Yoko Ono's art out of John Lennon’s shadow
- North Carolina man says he'll use lottery winnings to run for US Congress
- Meta donates $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund
- Panel investigating Maine’s deadliest shooting to hear from state police
Ranking
- Buckingham Palace staff under investigation for 'bar brawl'
- Texas emergency room’s aquarium likely saved lives when car smashed through wall, doctor says
- ‘Lead or Lose!’ Young People Arrested at Biden’s Campaign Headquarters Call for Climate Action and a Ceasefire
- How Ben Affleck Helped Jennifer Lopez With New Musical This Is Me...Now
- 'Most Whopper
- Anti-abortion ads used location data from 600 Planned Parenthood locations, senator says
- Kelly Link's debut novel 'The Book of Love' is magical, confusing, heartfelt, strange
- The 'food' you see on-screen often isn't real food. Not so, in 'The Taste of Things'
Recommendation
See you latte: Starbucks plans to cut 30% of its menu
Why Kristen Stewart Is Done Talking About Her Romance With Ex Robert Pattinson
Stock market today: Asian shares track Wall Street’s rebound
Human remains and car found in creek linked to 1982 cold case, North Carolina police say
The FBI should have done more to collect intelligence before the Capitol riot, watchdog finds
Dakota Johnson and S.J. Clarkson and find the psychological thriller in ‘Madame Web’
Ariana Grande reveals new Mariah Carey collaboration: 'Dream come true'
How Gigi Hadid and Bradley Cooper Spent Their First Valentine's Day Together