Entire 200 Ft commercial transmitter tower stolen.

[fxdscon]

Thieves toppled and stole the 200-foot tower of classic hits WJLX-AM (1240) in Jasper, AL. The theft was discovered late last week and also included the transmitter and other equipment.

An Entire 200-Foot Tower Stolen From WJLX-AM Jasper.

Thieves toppled and stole the 200-foot tower of classic hits WJLX-AM (1240) in Jasper, AL. The theft was discovered late last week and also included the transmitter and other equipment.

www.insideradio.com

 

[jtwalker]

On an unrelated note, I have a slightly used 200’ radio tower for sale cheap and some electronic equipment that I don’t know much about too.

 

[prcguy]

On an unrelated note, I have a slightly used 200’ radio tower for sale cheap and some electronic equipment that I don’t know much about too.

Wrong forum, please list in the CB section.

 

[jtwalker]

Wrong forum, please list in the CB section.

I’m not sure if you are serious or not, but I definitely wasn’t…

 

[ladn]

Thieves toppled and stole the 200-foot tower of classic hits WJLX-AM (1240) in Jasper, AL. The theft was discovered late last week and also included the transmitter and other equipment

Seems odd (to me) that, according to the story, the theft was discovered by a work crew and not by listeners reporting the loss of signal.

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

Seems odd (to me) that, according to the story, the theft was discovered by a work crew and not by listeners reporting the loss of signal.

I have a theory..or two.. Work crew snags tower guy with bush hog. Tower topples. They call scrap dealer who takes it all away. Problem solved. Or alternately, tower fell months ago, FCC seen poking around to see if they are on the air. Might suspicious this case. Someone is lying and the tower is not saying.

 

[trimmerj]

Small rural Am Stations aren't doing well these days.

 

[prcguy]

I’m not sure if you are serious or not, but I definitely wasn’t…

Oh, I thought you were offering up the missing tower. Sorry, my mistake.

 

[merlin]

If the target here was for the copper, there are a lot more better choices than AM BC stations.
AM BC, The tower IS the antenna and never saw one that wasn't steel.
FM, on the other hand, the array and hardline is all copper.
This whole thing sounds odd to me.

 

[merlin]

Seems odd (to me) that, according to the story, the theft was discovered by a work crew and not by listeners reporting the loss of signal.

Probably been off air a couple years. I have come across a totally abandoned station in So Cal, Vandalized and graffity but a lot of gear left.

 

[217]

Probably been off air a couple years. I have come across a totally abandoned station in So Cal, Vandalized and graffity but a lot of gear left.

Wait for it...

 

[belvdr]

Was there no monitoring of the gear or even monitoring the signal that you're transmitting? I thought broadcast TV and radio had to monitor and report their signal to prove they are within limits.

 

[KevinC]

Seems odd (to me) that, according to the story, the theft was discovered by a work crew and not by listeners reporting the loss of signal.

I'm a little suspect as well. Dismantling a (probably at least) 30 year old tower ain't easy. And hauling it away is also a chore. I can't see the price of scrap metal being worth all the work.

Strange things are afoot at the Circle K.

 

[217]

Seems odd (to me) that, according to the story, the theft was discovered by a work crew and not by listeners reporting the loss of signal.

If had been off-air for years, who there be any listeners?

 

[chrismol1]

This was posted on wikipedia. Sounds like someone saw an opportunity

In late January 2024, the station, which has gone dark several times throughout the last few years due to deferred maintenance involving the 1240 AM tower southeast of Jasper that is slowly being repaired, posted on its Facebook page that the station's entire antenna, including the 200 ft (61 m) mast, and most of its transmission equipment within a building was completely cleared and removed, rendering it unable to broadcast at all over the AM band[10]; throughout all of its dark time, its translator at 101.5 FM has continued to broadcast full-time and was not affected as it transmits from another site west of Jasper

 

[217]

If the radio station was truly broadcasting am then investigators could check utility bills to pinpoint when power consumption dropped. I found this on FB.

 

[lenk911]

throughout all of its dark time, its translator at 101.5 FM has continued to broadcast full-time and was not affected as it transmits from another site

The FCC allows AM stations to have a translator, if FM frequencies are available, if they can no longer cover their major market area because of manmade noise. BUT The translator must be owned by a 3rd party. Also technically they couldn't be translating 1240 KHz otherwise the translator would go dark when 1240 went dark. The translator must have a a feed direct from the studio making it technically, no longer a translator. Maybe they got an emergency STA from the FCC. Be nice if they could convert the translator's license to a full broadcast license and never reconstruct the AM station. Manmade noise has killed the AM band in urban/suburban areas!

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

Undoubtedly an inside job. Probably a disgruntled investor. Who owns the land? I would look at clearing the property for another use as a powerful motive.

 

[merlin]

Undoubtedly an inside job. Probably a disgruntled investor. Who owns the land? I would look at clearing the property for another use as a powerful motive.

Insurance fraud ?? Bet if they go back on air it will be with a new Harris solid state transmitter.

 

[mmckenna]

This stinks.

Stinks as in it doesn't add up.

Taking down a 200' tower is no small task.
That is going to take some work and power tools.
It's going to make some noise when it hits the ground.
Cutting up/unbolting 200' of even something small like Rohn 25 is going to take some time and make some noise.
200 feet of cut up tower isn't going to be hidden someones trunk. That's a truck and/or a trailer.
1000 watt transmitter isn't that large, but still B&E into the hut, probably fairly heavy.

I know last time I recycled a bunch of scrap metal, they wanted my drivers license and they even had a camera that took a photo of me standing next to what I brought in.