A Radio World reader who asks not to be named reached out to us to inquire if stations have noticed an increase in copper thefts recently, particularly on the East Coast. Here’s why: “We’ve been hit at two of our sites in two different markets in the past six months, and the thing that concerns me is that these guys seem to be well versed in transmitter sites,” he wrote.
He says the thefts appear more organized than previous incidents.
“The way they entered the sites seems very calculated and not a spur-of-the-moment thing. They knew exactly what was dead and what they could cut so that they didn’t get zapped.”
Based on the complexity of one site, he said, “Either they got really lucky on which tower and ATU to hit and what to leave alone, or they’ve been educated on it, or they have the diagnostic tools and the knowledge to use them.”
We’ve offered to gather any comments from readers. If you’ve had a similar experience recently, please email us at radioworld@futurenet.com.
[Related: “Copper Thieves Destroy KITX’s Radio Tower“]
