[BC] WANO 1230 pineville ky. Fire

[BOYDSIRBOYD@aol.com]

EVERYONE;

 


This is concerning WANO-AM 1230 Pineville, Kentucky.

 
Read the email from their owner, Josh Wilkey.. he's given me permission to 
send it to you and for you to publish any or part of it in all access. Should 
you want/need to contact him, his email address is _josh at wilkeysouth.com_ 
(mailto:josh at wilkeysouth.com)  and _joshwfxy at gmail.com_ (mailto:joshwfxy at gmail.com)  
... His contact phone numbers are below.
 
Sister station WFXY 1490 is fine, as the tower site is about 10 miles away. 
WFXY's and WANO's studios are fine, as they are located in Middlesboro.
 
Josh is a GREAT, HARD WORKING individual....
 
Paul
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Joshua Wilkey <_joshwfxy at gmail.com_ (mailto:joshwfxy at gmail.com) >
Date: Mar 19, 2007 3:16 AM 
Subject: WANO Fire
To: Josh Wilkey <_josh at wilkeysouth.com_ (mailto:josh at wilkeysouth.com) >


Dear friends:
 
At 2:30am, this is a very difficult email for me to write. However, since I 
obviously can't sleep tonight, I thought "why not". I also wanted you all to 
hear it from me before you read it in the newspaper or a trade publication, or 
see it on TV. 
 
At approximately 9:40 tonight (Sunday), arsonists set the WANO-AM building on 
fire. Despite courageous efforts by the men and women of the Bell County 
Volunteer Fire Department, the building and transmission facilities were a total 
loss. Luckily, the tower is far enough from the building that it wasn't damaged 
by heat, smoke or water. The building is still standing despite being burned 
out, and it's obvious that the arsonists poured a trail of accelerant (the 
arson investigators believe it to be kerosene) throughout the building, then set 
the fire at the front door. When the alarm system was set off by the arsonists 
kicking in the front door, I was immediately alerted by the alarm company. I 
headed to Pineville as quickly as I could, and by the time I got there, the 
fire was mostly extinguished. At that point, only the front part of the building 
was damaged, and our transmitter was still safe and free of smoke and water 
damage. However, about an hour later, embers ignited the ceiling directly over 
the transmitter, and extinguishing these flames caused the transmitter and 
processing equipment to be destroyed. It was a total loss, and what is left of 
the building will have to be razed. Due to the location of the building (in a 
high-flood area and crime-ridden neighborhood), and because the property has had 
many insurance claims over the past few years, insuring the facility simply 
wasn't economically viable, so I'll have to pay for the rebuild myself, without 
the benefit of an insurance adjustment. 
 
Ironically, WANO celebrated 50 years of service to the Pineville/Bell County 
community on Friday March 16th. It's a tragedy that, when we should be 
celebrating, we are instead crushed by the acts of these awful people. In the past 
thirty days, well over a dozen fires have been intentionally set in Bell County, 
so we are simply one of many victims. My hearts go out to the other folks who 
have lost homes and property to arson this month. I can personally relate 
now. However, the community is the real loser in this situation. Sure, I'll have 
to bear the expense of rebuilding the station. However, I can handle it. The 
community, though, will be without its' radio station for at least a few 
months. Walking through the building was like walking through a time capsule, with 
years and years of history present in the old Carts and 45s stored in the 
building. Everything from Elvis's first album, to old County Fiscal Court 
recordings, and even the room where Loretta Lynn sang in person before she was famous. 
All that is gone now, thanks to the actions of idiots who are incapable of 
even comprehending the history they've destroyed. 
 
I have every intention of turning this tragedy into a victory. I'd like to 
ask that you all please keep your thoughts and prayers with me and my staff as 
we sift through the ashes and work to rebuild WANO. It WILL be back, better 
than ever. I'm not about to let the actions of a few idiots with matches prevent 
WANO from enjoying fifty more years of broadcast excellence. 
 
 
 
Take care;
 
 
 
-JW
 
 
 
 
 


-- 
Joshua Wilkey
President

Countrywide Broadcasters, Inc. 
PO Box 999
2118 Cumberland Ave. 
Middlesboro, KY 40965
606-248-1560
Fax: 606-248-6397
_http://www.1490wfxy.com/_ (http://www.1490wfxy.com/) 
_http://www.1230wano.com/_ (http://www.1230wano.com/) 
_http://www.tristateradionews.com/_ (http://www.tristateradionews.com/)  




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