This story is looking like fraud on the pro forums I haunt. The station has AM and FM that carry the same program audio. Common enough practice. Apparently well over five years ago their old AM transmitter died, and they had difficulty getting parts. The FCC required they repair the machine or lose their license. They filed for an extension a couple times, and then around 2018 just kinda forgot to keep renewing their extension. The FCC didn't follow up either. The whole thing disappeared down a memory hole.Volkonski wrote: ↑Thu Feb 08, 2024 2:28 pm
Alabama station in disbelief after 200-foot radio tower stolen
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/al ... rcna137877
And then it popped back up for some reason, landed on the Guardian, and now the FCC is cracking down. Their FM license was dependent upon the AM license. If the AM station is off the air, like has been for quite a while, the FM will be shut down until such time as the AM service is restored. The station manager has started a GoFundMe to raise funds towards that goal.
In the meantime, it's been determined the tower and transmitter are/were on leased land. Speculation is the station failed to pay rent, and the eventually the landowner removed everything at his cost. Years and years ago. This is not new, unknown, or unexpected according to locals off the record. TBD.