WVOW vandalized!!!

[genlock]

By MICHAEL BROWNING, Managing Editor
Published:
Thursday, October 9, 2008 6:33 AM EDT
Vandals apparently struck a Verizon transmitter yesterday afternoon knocking out service to WVOW Radio and Alltel customers.

According to WVOW Station Manager Larry "Speedy" Bevins, it appears vandals stole Verizon phone equipment from the transmitter located on Wardrock Mountain in the city of Logan yesterday and that silenced the radio's transmission. It also caused Alltel customers to lose their cellular phone service.

The radio broadcast to both the AM and FM stations was lost yesterday around 2:30 p.m., Bevins said.

As of press time Wednesday morning, the Alltel customers' service and the signal for WVOW Radio were still down.

"This is due to vandalism on Verizon equipment that has interrupted Alltel service and WVOW Radio's broadcast," Bevins said. "We transmit from the studio to the transmitter via equalized phone lines."

Bevins said Verizon has crews onsite working to restore the equipment, but it could be tomorrow before the radio broadcast returns to the air and Alltel customers regain their service.

"We're optimistic that Verizon crews will have us back on the air Wednesday afternoon," Bevins said.

"But, due to the weather and the severity of the damage done to the equipment, it could be tomorrow before we're back on the air. We appreciate Verizon keeping us informed and for putting this as a priority to restore our service

[Cameron]

Hellavua' long-run up that hill.

I was only a matter of time.

RPUs for backup or a STL system are what they're going to have to move towards to stay on the air.

Did they get anything that disabled the State's tower (old WLOG)?


STL 10 system used from Rick Neace would run about $2600 plus licensing.
RPT 25 + Receiver used is about $1100

The crackheads will only hit that nice run again next holiday or full-moon.
The GTE/ATT guys in South Point say that most of their stuff is most-likely stolen by the guys they contracted to install it.

[genlock]

I am unclear on what was stolen.
Fiber optic converter thing or what?

[sportsvoice]

Wow. First WLGC gets hit, now WVOW. The article's unclear, but I would imagine that the incoming cable plant is what got vandalized, taking down the broadcast loops for WVOW as well as any T-carriers or whatever digital circuits Alltel was using to run that cellular base station. I guess if they can't steal your ground system or transmission line, they'll just steal the phone lines instead which whacks the STL.

The same sort of thing happened to WBZI in Xenia, Ohio last week. Different cause though...a rotten DP&L power pole that was damaged by the windstorm a few weeks ago fell into the street behind their studio. That knocked out power to their studio...when that came back on they found out their phones were all down as well as their STL links to all of their stations (WBZI plus their 2 simulcasters in Wilmington and Eaton). They wound up rigging a cell phone to their board and calling their POTS line at the WBZI transmitter to get something on the air. Of course the cell phone audio sounded like garbage, but it got something up and running. Their FCC info shows a Marti aux license associated with it, but I guess they must not have that unit anymore.

Something about this sort of problem and just the way the phone company works in general makes me not want to trust them for STL circuits. If there's good LOS to the site from the studio, Cameron's advice would probably be a good idea for anyone using the phone company for program loops.

[genlock]

Is there a market for the sort of stuff that was stolen?
I thought most of these people were looking for copper.

[Big Media]

STL 10 system used from Rick Neace would run about $2600 plus licensing.
RPT 25 + Receiver used is about $1100

iPod plugged into the transmitter - $100

The GTE/ATT guys in South Point say that most of their stuff is most-likely stolen by the guys they contracted to install it.

[genlock]

The road to the top of Ward Rock Mountain is not that bad.
A passenger car could get up there.
My statement relies on information from 6 years ago.
Your mileage may vary.

Anyway Dave Allen could have gone up there with an Ipod and a microphone
and saved the day.
My opinion.

[Hoosier Daddy]

iPod plugged into the transmitter - $100

I thought this was what every station did these days ...

[Dave Allen]

Gen, I beg to differ..you can barely get up there with a 4WD truck, let alone a car. They actually went up the hill next to the State Police headquarters to get there.

Fill in your own jokes.