60-metre radio station tower stolen in US state of Alabama, silencing small town’s voice: ‘it hurts our community’
- The theft was discovered February 2, when a maintenance crew arrived in the wooded area where the tower once stood and saw that the structure was missing
- Radio station WLJX in Jasper, Alabama had no insurance on the tower or the equipment. Estimates to rebuild the tower could cost US$$60,000 to US$$100,000
The theft of a giant radio tower has silenced what used to be the voice of a small Alabama town and the surrounding county, the radio station’s general manager said.
A thief or thieves made off with the 200-foot (61-metre) tower, shutting down WJLX radio in Jasper, Alabama. So far, no arrests have been made.
“The slogan of our station is the sound of Walker County, and right now with our station down, the community has lost its sound and lost its voice,” WJLX General Manager Brett Elmore told Associated Press.
“This hurts, and it hurts our community.”
To break into my building and steal all my equipment, and the tower? Hell, leave me the tower – that’s the most expensive thing to replace
The theft was discovered February 2, when a maintenance crew arrived in the wooded area where the tower once stood and found it gone. They also found that every piece of broadcasting equipment stored in a nearby building had also been stolen.