Thieves Mysteriously Steal 200-Foot-Tall Radio Tower A radio tower and all related equipment were reportedly stolen in Jasper, Alabama, last week.
By Emily Rella •
A massive 200-foot-tall radio tower mysteriously vanished in a small town in Alabama.
Brett Elmore, who manages local station WJLX in Jasper, Alabama, wrote on Facebook that when his crew attempted to go into the office and do a quick cleanup last Friday afternoon, there was nothing there.
Elmore alleges that he was notified upon arrival that the office had been vandalized and that the tower had, somehow, disappeared.
"They stole every piece of equipment out of the building, cut the guy wires to the tower and SOMEHOW managed to down a 200' tower and take it from the property," Elmore wrote in a lengthy post. "I have heard of thieves in this area stealing anything, but this one takes the cake."
Local outlet ABC3340 estimates that the damages incurred cost upwards of $200,000.
Elmore filed a report with the Jasper Police Department to find out what happened.
"There was a meeting yesterday between the owner and our investigators concerning the matter," said Jasper Mayor David O'Mary, per NBC News. "At this point, we are still lacking information that we have to have to conduct a full-fledged investigation."
Elmore said that the station notified the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to explain the situation and requested that the show broadcast on FM radio for now — instead of the AM radio channel it usually played on.
However, he said that the FCC denied the request and explained that the show could not be translated to an FM station and that his show must "cease operation" until authorities figure out what went awry.
"The community here – they depend on us," Elmore told CNN. "The main part of broadcasting is to serve your community, and our community has had its radio voice silenced."
The investigation remains ongoing.
