HFU HF Underground

General Category => General Radio Discussion => Topic started by: ChrisSmolinski on February 08, 2024, 1611 UTC

Title: Thieves somehow take 200-foot radio tower
Post by: ChrisSmolinski on February 08, 2024, 1611 UTC

JASPER, Ala. (WBRC/Gray News) - A 200-foot AM radio tower in Alabama is gone, stolen without a trace.

WJLX’s AM station signal has been greatly impacted by the theft in Walker County.

Station general manager Brett Elmore said he remains hopeful that somebody will share information to help law enforcement find those responsible for the theft

https://www.wbtv.com/2024/02/07/thieves-somehow-take-200-foot-radio-tower/

Title: Re: Thieves somehow take 200-foot radio tower
Post by: Ct Yankee on February 09, 2024, 1755 UTC

Not a year for radio towers I guess:

https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/headlines/concrete-truck-brings-down-wnixs-radio-tower
https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/headlines/copper-thieves-destroy-kitxs-radio-tower

Title: Re: Thieves somehow take 200-foot radio tower? C2C AM now has that.
Post by: ThaDood on February 09, 2024, 1926 UTC

https://www.coasttocoastam.com/article/video-alabama-radio-station-forced-off-the-air-after-thieves-steal-200-foot-tower/   Crazy, huh?!?!?

Title: Re: Thieves somehow take 200-foot radio tower
Post by: Traveling Wave on February 09, 2024, 2242 UTC

Another perspective on the theft from Geerling Engineering ....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZSxb8QIIa4

Title: Re: Thieves somehow take 200-foot radio tower
Post by: Molvania Poacher on February 11, 2024, 2359 UTC

And no Special Temporary Authority (STA) from FCC to utilize their FM translator in the meantime:

https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/headlines/wjlx-looks-to-rebuild-after-having-its-radio-tower-stolen (https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/headlines/wjlx-looks-to-rebuild-after-having-its-radio-tower-stolen)

They've even set-up a Gofundme page:

https://www.wjlx1015.com/ (https://www.wjlx1015.com/)

https://www.gofundme.com/f/wjlx-1240-am-tower-and-equipment-replacement (https://www.gofundme.com/f/wjlx-1240-am-tower-and-equipment-replacement)

Title: Re: Thieves somehow take 200-foot radio tower? Back on-air!
Post by: ThaDood on February 14, 2025, 1719 UTC

https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/wjlx-returns-to-1240-am-after-tower-theft    Boomer, alerted me to this story. Looks like they are back on-air. Hopefully, they've invested into some kind of security system.

Title: Re: Thieves somehow take 200-foot radio tower
Post by: n2avh on February 14, 2025, 2304 UTC

I wonder, given the stories about this, if they grudgingly restored it to avoid further investigation of the claim that they faked it order to continue on FM without the expense of the AM.