KYSJ

Last updated
KYSJ
Frequency 1270 kHz
BrandingKY 102
Programming
Format Classic rock
Ownership
OwnerEagle Communications, Inc.
History
First air date
February 1, 1956 (as KUSN)
Former call signs
KUSN (1955–1981)
KGNM (1981-2020)
Call sign meaning
KYSt. Joseph (reference to KYYS in Kansas City)
Technical information
Facility ID 50511
Class D
Power 1,000 watts day
36 watts night
Transmitter coordinates
 39°44′39″N94°47′16″W / 39.74417°N 94.78778°W / 39.74417; -94.78778
Translator(s) 102.5 K273BF (St. Joseph)
Links
Webcast Listen Live
Website KYSJ website

KYSJ (1270 AM) is a radio station broadcasting a classic rock format, licensed to St. Joseph, Missouri, United States. The station is currently owned by Eagle Communications, Inc. [1]

Contents

History

Old station logo KGNM logo.png
Old station logo

KUSN

In 1955, Julius B. Spears, an Overland Park, Kansas real estate developer, obtained the construction permit for a new station in St. Joseph. KUSN went on the air on November 7, 1955 on 1270 kHz with 1 kW daytime only. The initial lineup for the station consisted of Station Manager, Hal Hamilton; Assistant Station Manager and Promotions Director, Don Blue; Women's Programming and traffic manager, Eleanor Shepherd and disc jockeys Jay Bennett, Vic Kearns and Joe Killgore. [2] The transmitter was at the present Leonard Road location, with studios at the historic Hotel Robidoux in downtown St. Joseph. The Robidoux studios were previously used by KFEQ radio, and KVAK (later KAIR in Atchison.) In January 1958, Spears sold the station to Kansas/Iowa broadcast group owners Wyman Schnepp and Fred Reynolds for $50K after being unable to make it financially viable. Schnepp sold the station only a few months later in October 1958 to Charles Norman, a St. Louis-area broadcaster for $90K. The studios moved to the fifth floor of the Howitt Building (also known as the KFEQ building) at 8th and Frederick Avenue, in studios also previously inhabited by KFEQ radio on January 2, 1959. Struggling to make the daytimer financially viable, the station was sold in July 1959 to Midland Broadcasters, a company of Fred Reynolds, who owned the facility until 1977. After the station's application to broadcast after sunset was denied by the FCC in 1960, the station launched an FM counterpart from the Howitt Building location, with 3 kW ERP on 105.1 MHz.

As an AM music format daytimer in the 1960s, the station struggled with ratings and competition from full-time AM, and later FM, stations in the St. Joseph and Kansas City markets. In September 1966, the station moved from a Top 40 sound to middle-of-the-road music; in November 1967, it flipped to country music. KUSN-FM simulcast the AM formats during much of the same period and also ran a beautiful music format. While the station was small, it had a strong impact on the market and was the launching pad for the early careers of many major market radio broadcasting personalities, including sportscaster George Michael, Skinny Bobby Harper (often attributed as the inspiration for the Dr. Johnny Fever character on WKRP), Rich "Brother" Robbin (who would work in radio in San Diego), and others.

In 1972, the station moved its studios and the FM transmitter to their 2414 South Leonard Road transmitter location due to the Howitt Building studio location scheduled for demolition under the Urban Renewal program. In 1974, KUSN-FM was increased to an ERP of 27.5 kW, new call letters KSFT were assigned, and the station was programmed with the Schulke automated beautiful music format. The station was sold to Hunter Broadcasting Group from Jacksonville, Illinois in 1977. Upon its sale in 1979 to Orama, the AM and FM combination was split up; the FM was sold to AM competitor KKJO at that time and became KKJO-FM, while KUSN became KGNM in 1981 after Orama was acquired by Good News Ministries.

KGNM

From 1981 until 2013, KGNM was a Christian station. In 2013, Good News Ministries moved the religious programming to 91.1 FM and Orama installed a classic hits format on 1270. In May 2020, Orama agreed to sell KGNM and its translator to Eagle Communications, Inc., owner of St. Joseph's other four commercial stations (KFEQ, KKJO, KESJ, and KSJQ). [3]

KYSJ

On June 15, 2020, KGNM changed their format to classic rock, branded as "KY 102". The "KY 102" branding was previously on KYYS (102.1 FM) in Kansas City from 1974 to 1997. The sale to Eagle Communications was consummated on September 24, 2020, at a price of $160,000. On October 15, 2020, KGNM changed their call letters to KYSJ. [4]

KGNM 102.5FM-1270am logo.jpg

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KTCZ-FM</span> Radio station in Minneapolis, Minnesota

KTCZ-FM is a commercial radio station licensed to Minneapolis, Minnesota and serving the Minneapolis-St. Paul radio market and Western Wisconsin. KTCZ airs a hybrid modern adult contemporary radio format. The station is owned and operated by iHeartMedia and has studios and offices on Utica Avenue South in St. Louis Park.

WFOY is a radio station broadcasting a News/talk format. Licensed to St. Augustine, Florida, United States, the station is currently owned by Local Matters Broadcasting. The station is repeated in St. Augustine on translator W271CJ.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KKJO-FM</span> Radio station in St. Joseph, Missouri

KKJO-FM is a radio station in St. Joseph, Missouri, broadcasting at 105.5 on the FM dial. The station airs a Top 40 format with the brand name K-Jo 105-5.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KCSP (AM)</span> Sports radio station in Kansas City, Missouri

KCSP is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Kansas City, Missouri. The Audacy, Inc.-owned station broadcasts a sports radio format. The studios and offices are located on Squibb Road in Mission, Kansas. KCSP is one of the oldest radio stations in the Kansas City metropolitan area, going on the air in 1922, just after KMBZ, and several months before WHB.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WWCD (AM)</span> Radio station in Columbus, Ohio

WWCD is a commercial alternative rock radio station licensed to serve Columbus, Ohio, servicing the Columbus metropolitan area. Owned by ICS Communications, Inc., and operated by WWCD Limited, the WWCD studios are located in the Brewery District, while the station transmitter resides in Columbus' Brandywine neighborhood. In addition to a standard analog transmission, WWCD is relayed over low-power analog Columbus translator W225CS (92.9 FM), as well as broadcast at WQCD, a commercial alternative rock radio station licensed to serve Delaware, Ohio, locally owned by Brent Casagrande through licensee Delmar Communications, Inc. and operated by WWCD, Ltd.

KFEQ is a commercial AM radio station in St. Joseph, Missouri. It is owned by Eagle Communications and airs a news-talk-sports-farm reports radio format. The studios and offices are on Country Lane in St. Joseph along with sister stations KKJO, KSJQ, KESJ, and KYSJ.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KODA</span> Adult contemporary radio station in Houston

KODA is an American commercial adult contemporary-formatted radio station in Houston, Texas. The station is owned by iHeartMedia. Its studios and offices are located along the West Loop Freeway in Uptown Houston.

WTSS is a commercial radio station in Buffalo, New York, branded as Star 102.5. It airs a hot adult contemporary radio format, switching to Christmas music for much of November and December. It is owned and operated by Audacy, Inc. The studios and offices are on Corporate Parkway in Amherst, New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WBBF</span> Radio station in Buffalo, New York

WBBF is a commercial AM radio station in Buffalo, New York. It airs a classic hip hop radio format and is owned by Cumulus Media. The studios and offices are on James E. Casey Drive in Buffalo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KESJ</span> Radio station in St. Joseph, Missouri

KESJ is a radio station broadcasting a classic hits format, licensed to St. Joseph, Missouri. The station is owned by Eagle Communications, Inc.

KMIA is an AM radio station broadcasting a Spanish-language Christian Radio format, known as "Radio Amor." Licensed to Auburn–Federal Way, Washington, it serves the Seattle metropolitan area. The station is currently owned by Amador and Rosalie Bustos, through licensee Bustos Media Holdings, LLC. It uses a brokered programming system, where religious leaders buy time on the station and seek donations to their ministries during their shows.

KLKC is a radio station broadcasting a sports and news/talk format licensed to Parsons, Kansas, United States. It serves the Pittsburg area. The station is currently owned by Wayne Gilmore and Greg Chalker through licensee Parsons Media Group, LLC.

KGOR is a commercial radio station in Omaha, Nebraska, broadcasting a classic hits radio format. It is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc., and licensed as iHM Licenses, LLC. The radio studios and offices are at North 50th Street and Underwood Avenue in Midtown Omaha.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KABI (AM)</span> Radio station in Abilene, Kansas

KABI is a radio station licensed to Abilene, Kansas, broadcasting a Classic Hits format. The station first went on the air in 1963, broadcasting from the lowest level of the Sunflower Hotel in downtown Abilene. Wyman Schnepp was the original owner and general manager. His wife Willa was its first engineer. Schnepp only had ownership for 4 years before he sold KABI to Norton Warner, of Lincoln, Nebraska, in 1967. J.K. Vanier and Jerry Hinrikus of Salina, Kansas, bought KABI and its sister FM, KSAJ, in late 1991. Then in January 2004 Morris Communications acquired KABI as part of a 6-station group purchase from EBC. Most recently Alpha Media, LLC., bought KABI on September 1, 2015, and, almost immediately, spun it off to Rocking M Media.

KVSS is a non-commercial FM radio station airing a Catholic radio format. Licensed to Papillion, Nebraska, the station serves the Omaha and Lincoln areas. Some weekday shows are locally produced with EWTN Radio Network programs airing nights and weekends. The station is listener-supported, holding periodic on-the-air fundraisers and seeking donations on its website. It is owned by VSS Catholic Communications. KVSS's studios are on West A Street in Omaha.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KBED</span> Radio station in Nederland, Texas

KBED is a radio station serving the Beaumont-Port Arthur area with a sports format. It is under ownership of Cumulus Media, and is simulcast with sister station KIKR AM 1450 Beaumont, Texas. Its studios are located on South Eleventh Street in Beaumont and its transmitter is located south of Vidor, Texas.

WEKV is a K-Love owned-and-operated radio station that is licensed to Central City, Kentucky, United States. The station serves the Central City, Owensboro, Kentucky, and Evansville, Indiana areas. The station is currently owned by Educational Media Foundation, the owner of the K-Love radio network.

WAIN is a CBS Sports Radio–affiliated radio station licensed to Columbia, Kentucky, United States. The station is owned by Forcht Broadcasting as part of a duopoly with country music station WAIN-FM. WAIN's transmitter is located along KY 206 on the east side of Columbia.

WMMG-FM is a variety–formatted radio station licensed to Brandenburg, Kentucky, United States. The station is currently owned by local Chris McGehee under the licensee Meade County Communications, Inc. The station's studios and transmitter facilities are located on KY 313 on the southwest side of Brandenburg.

KUSN 98.1 FM is a radio station licensed to Dearing, Kansas. The station broadcasts a country music format and is owned by Sek Media, LLC.

References

  1. ↑ "KYSJ Facility Record". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
  2. ↑ Saint Joseph News-Press, Nov. 6, 1955, pages 1A,3B
  3. ↑ "Deal Digest: Fresno AMs Change Hands". Inside Radio. May 21, 2020. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
  4. ↑ Heritage KY102 Brand Comes To St. Joseph MO Radioinsight - June 16, 2020
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.