Incident details
- Date of incident
- November 13, 2024
- Targets
- KBTM
- Equipment damaged
- Actor
- Private individual
Equipment Damage
Damage caused by vandals at the tower site for AM radio station KBTM in Jonesboro, Arkansas, in November 2024.
AM radio station KBTM in Jonesboro, Arkansas, has been forced to operate at reduced power after vandals caused extensive damage to its transmission facilities during two break-ins in November 2024.
A Jonesboro Police Department report said the incidents occurred on or around Nov. 1 and Nov. 13, when suspects forced entry into the transmitter building, vandalized the facility and stole several items, the Wynne Progress reported. No suspects were identified.
In a filing with the Federal Communications Commission, station licensee East Arkansas Broadcasters attached photos of the vandalism and reported that it was operating at reduced power.
A year later, it filed another report to the FCC in which it said that repairs had uncovered additional damage to the transmitter, antenna and tower, including copper removed from the base of the tower. The station described the building as “nearly destroyed.”
As of mid-2026, according to a further FCC filing, the station still had not resumed broadcasting at full power.
The theft and destruction of radio station towers and equipment are becoming more commonplace around the country due to a soaring global demand for copper.
The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker catalogs press freedom violations in the United States. Email tips to [email protected].
