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The that Mr Skotdal choose was the result of research of a consulting firm. Am broadcast stations require wet ground for the antenna grounding network. The location offers a path for the station to be able to broadcast into Seattle. Gunny Sack hill blocks the current 1380 signal abilty to get into Seattle.
I read an article in the paper that the FBI is hot on the trail of the Vandels see below:
SNOHOMISH — The Snohomish River may have been used as a getaway route Friday morning by the people responsible for pulling down two controversial radio towers.
Two men reportedly were seen driving away from a fishing beach just upriver from the toppled KRKO radio towers. Witnesses believe that two men may have used a boat to get to the fishing beach, and then drove off.
Hours after the destruction, a nationally known domestic terrorist group claimed responsibility. The group, the Earth Liberation Front or ELF, said the radio towers' radio signals are hazardous.
No arrests have been made in the case, which may be considered an act of domestic terrorism. The FBI is leading the investigation.
Some anglers who were fishing the river early Friday morning believe the people responsible for the vandalism slipped away from the radio tower site to the river and escaped upstream in a boat.
Douglas Bar is a private beach reached through a locked gate. It is less than a mile from the towers.
Fishermen pay a local farmer an annual fee for access to the river there, said one fisherman, 38, of Arlington. The man said he feared retribution and asked that his name not be used.
Fishing isn't allowed until daybreak, but fishermen often arrive early to be ready at first light, the man said. Rarely are people seen leaving just when the fishing begins, he said.
As he drove the gravel road leading to the beach Friday, he saw two men leaving in a pickup hauling a boat. The man said he didn't see any fishing gear in the other rig.
“They were coming out at dark when everybody else was going in,” the fisherman said.
The man said the FBI interviewed anglers on Friday.
Federal agents assigned to the case wouldn't comment on what their investigation has revealed so far, FBI special agent Fred Gutt said Tuesday.
KRKO's radio towers long have been a source of local controversy.
Some neighbors and environmentalists went to court to fight construction of the new towers and urged Snohomish County officials not to approve them, saying they believe health problems result from radio towers and that the signals were interfering with home electronics.
Snohomish County officials and several courts did not agree with the health claims, and Everett-based KRKO eventually prevailed.
Andy Skotdal, KRKO's owner and general manager, said Tuesday he believes the investigation is getting plenty of attention.
“The domestic terrorism team in Seattle is quite large and they conveyed that domestic terrorism is a huge priority,” he said.
Neighbor Mark Craven opposed the construction of the towers. He said no one who has opposed the towers locally would resort to the destruction.
“I would never think of doing something to rip them down,” he said.
Still, he heard the FBI was given a short list of people to contact in connection with the crime.
County Councilman Dave Somers opposed the towers, which sit in his district, but said that after a legal battle against them was lost, he moved on. He urged others to do the same, calling the destruction an act of terrorism.
“I think the general thing that I can do is let it be known that this (destruction) is really unacceptable,” Somers said. “We're not going to be soft on anybody who's caught doing this.”
Skotdal said listeners have been supporting the locally owned radio station.
The station's booth at the Evergreen State Fair was inundated with people who shared kind words and promised to tune in, he said.
“You can't buy this much exposure from ads,” Skotdal said.
The radio station plans to offer a $25,000 reward to entice people who might know something about the case to speak up, Skotdal said. Details are expected later this week.
“We're pretty confident that in a down economy this is going to excite someone to reach out to the FBI,” he said.
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