Copper Thieves Hit Local AM Radio Station

A local radio station went off the air for some time the other day, all because of two major copper thefts. 

Radio stations like the 1400 AM station, are big targets nowadays with copper transmission lines buried under the ground. When the lines were cut at KNNR's tower, the owner had to act fast to get the station back up and running.

"We're on the air because we have a generator. I have to keep extra people, this is extremely costly. Its not enough to come to an insurance deductible. It's all coming out of our pockets," said Fred Weinberg, CEO of KNNR.

AC power wires were cut, exposing vandals to radio frequency energy, possibly burning their skin. But the thieves were able to make it off with a hefty amount of copper cable, 2,500 feet of it. 

Washoe County Sheriff's Office says it hasn't seen much of this type of crime though. 

Deputy Jeff McCaskill with Washoe County Sheriff's Office said, "It's mostly on a decline, however, we're still seeing a few instances where people are attempting to take the metals that they're finding and obviously scrap them for a little less."

Copper is not as expensive as it once was, but it still fetches a fair amount for scrap dealers. Weinberg expects to pay $5,000 to $6,000 to replace the copper wire, while the thieves will only sell it for a mere couple hundred dollars or less. When thieves steal the copper and cause the station to go off the air, it's a bigger problem for the public. 

A school lock down or anything, our radio station is off the air, we're operating at reduced power. We're not serving the public as well as could be," said Weinberg.,

And law enforcement is advising businesses or properties with expensive metals to be on the look outlook for copper thieves. 

"Make sure you lock things up, make sure that things are secure. You keep an eye on those areas often to make sure people aren't in the area. And by all means, if you see anything suspicious, don't hesitate to call," said McCaskill. 

The criminal offense for stealing copper from a licensed transmission site like this one is no joke, it's a  felony.