Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Mexican Radio Organizes Protests Then Takes A Tumble

Vandals topple 4 radio towers north of Phoenix

Brent Whiting
The Arizona Republic Mar. 29, 2006 10:20 AM


Vandals took a torch and toppled four 197-foot radio towers that are part of a seven-tower cluster in Black Canyon City, authorities said Wednesday.The damage has been preliminary estimated at "millions of dollars," said Susan Quayle, a spokeswoman for the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office.Knocked off the air was KMIA-AM (710), a Spanish station in Phoenix.

It broadcasts ESPN Deportes, a sports-talk format that was launched last month. advertisement Tom Duran, the station manager, said there was no immediate indication when the station will be back on the air It could take "several weeks," he said.

"It's disheartening to know that somebody would do damage like this to a federally licensed facility," Duran said. He said he's unable to say whether the damage may be linked to recent immigration unrest throughout the nation. He said the FBI will be asked to investigate.

The station is owned by Entravision Communications Corp., a Sacramento firm that operates a string of Spanish stations throughout California and the Southwest, including KLNZ-FM (103.5) in the Valley, also known as Radio Tri-Color.

Quayle, the sheriff's spokeswoman, said the vandalism occurred late Tuesday at the Krazy Horse Ranch Polo Club, which is west of Interstate 17 in the community 30 miles north of Phoenix, Quayle said.

Investigators have determined that somebody used a torch to cut the steel support rods to four of the towers, causing them to crash to the ground, she said.The ranch manager heard the towers crash, but there were no injures to people or horses at the ranch, Quayle said.

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