An FM and AM station in Greenville, Miss., suffered “catastrophic” damage to their broadcast tower as a result of a copper theft.
100.7 WDMS(FM) and 1260 WGVM(AM) are licensed to Greenville and are owned by High Plains Radio Network.
On Nov. 21, the stations suffered damage to their transmission lines, an AM antenna tuning unit, an iso-coupler for both the AM and its associated FM translator, and to both AM and FM transmitters, according to a filing with the FCC for a silent special temporary authority.
(Read the STA filing with the FCC.)
The stations are off the air as a result of the theft.
The two stations are co-located on the same tower, along with WGVM’s 97.3 FM translator, just northeast of the center of Greenville.
High Plains Radio Network contacted the Arkansas-based Broadcast Industry Group to provide technical support to repair the damage, along with filing necessary documents with the FCC.
Jay Brentlinger of Broadcast Industry Group filed a silent special temporary authority with the FCC on Nov. 24.
When reached by Radio World, Monte Spearman of High Plains Radio Network had no further comment with a pending insurance claim.
Timing of the theft
According to the STA, the theft occurred on Nov. 21. Around 5:30 a.m. that morning, both stations went off the air.
Station management arrived at the transmitter site shortly thereafter and found that a vehicle had attached a rope or a chain to the elevated transmission lines for all three stations, according to the filing.
The vehicle in question had pulled all of the lines out from the studio building, which is adjacent to the tower, and did “massive and total damage,” according to the STA.
All of the three stations’ transmission equipment was destroyed, per the filing, rendering each of the stations off the air.
High Plains Radio Network management called Greenville police and took pictures of the damage.
WDMS is a country-formatted Class C1 FM signal. WGVM runs a classic hits format and is heard on a 97.3 FM translator. High Plains Radio Network acquired the stations in 2016.
Blacksun Private Equity filed to purchase WDMS and WGVM in August.
[Related: “FCC Commissioner Trusty Sounds Alarms on Copper Theft”]
