In this letter to the editor, the author comments on the story “FCC Commissioner Trusty Sounds Alarms on Copper Theft.” Radio World welcomes letters to the editor on this or any story. Email [email protected].
As president of Payne Media Group, which suffered the loss of a tower due to copper thieves, I applaud FCC Commissioner Olivia Trusty for bringing attention to this epidemic.
But it’s plain and simple: More cameras, higher fences and better security will not deter these criminals. We have laws on the books against interfering with federally licensed facilities. We need the U.S. attorneys to enforce them.
In the case of the 2024 theft at our station KITX(FM), we contacted elected officials, FBI and local law enforcement, and we enlisted the public’s help. That is how our staff found the criminals responsible.
In the end the U.S. attorney’s office out of Muskogee, Okla., chose to prosecute for taking stolen property across state lines.
Tower sites in rural areas are sitting ducks. Enforcing the law and imposing maximum legal penalties are the only messages criminals understand.
Radio owners need to stay in front of this issue, or someone may get the idea that we need to be regulated to protect ourselves, when the clear answer is law enforcement. Start sending the criminals to prison for 25+ years. Word will get around fast.
Also, I’m aware of some copper cases that never made the trades. Broadcasters need to report all such thefts. Silence is only making it worse.
— Will Payne, president, Payne Media Group, Hugo, Okla.
[Check Out More Letters at Radio World’s Reader’s Forum Section]
