WJLX Radio Station Equipment Stolen, Community Loses Its Voice

No arrests have been made at this time.

“Our station’s tagline is ‘The Sound of Walker County,’ and now that our station is gone, the community has lost its sound and its voice,” WJLX Radio General Manager Brett Elmore told The Associated Press.

The theft was discovered on February 2 when a maintenance crew arrived at the wooded area where the tower once stood and found it gone. Broadcasting equipment, which was stored in a nearby building, was also stolen.

“Breaking into our building and stealing all our equipment and the tower? Damn, they should have at least left us the tower—it’s the most expensive thing to replace.”

Elmore said he suspects the wire holding the tower was cut first, bringing the structure to the ground. It was then likely cut into smaller pieces and taken away.

The station had no insurance for the tower or the equipment, and Elmore estimated it would cost $60,000 to $100,000 to restore.

“We’re a small radio station and we don’t have that kind of money,” he said.

The radio station has set up a GoFundMe page to collect donations. Elmore revealed that he didn’t want to start a fundraiser, but a friend convinced him to put his pride aside and let people help.

2024-02-11 12:57:56
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