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KFUO (850
kHz The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), equivalent to one event (or cycle) per second. The hertz is an SI derived unit whose expression in terms of SI base units is s−1, meaning that on ...
) is a
non-commercial A non-commercial (also spelled noncommercial) activity is an activity that does not, in some sense, involve commerce, at least relative to similar activities that do have a commercial objective or emphasis. For example, advertising-free community ...
AM
radio station Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radi ...
licensed A license (or licence) is an official permission or permit to do, use, or own something (as well as the document of that permission or permit). A license is granted by a party (licensor) to another party (licensee) as an element of an agreeme ...
to Clayton, Missouri and serving
Greater St. Louis Greater St. Louis is a bi-state metropolitan area that completely surrounds and includes the independent city of St. Louis, the principal city. It includes parts of both Missouri and Illinois. The city core is on the Mississippi Riverfront on t ...
. It has a Christian talk and teaching
radio format A radio format or programming format (not to be confused with broadcast programming) describes the overall content broadcast on a radio station. The radio format emerged mainly in the United States in the 1950s, at a time when radio was compelle ...
. KFUO is one of the oldest continuous operating Christian radio stations in the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
, with its first broadcast on . Owned and operated by The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS), its radio studios and offices are in the LCMS headquarters in
Kirkwood, Missouri Kirkwood is an inner-ring western suburb of St. Louis located in St. Louis County, Missouri. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 27,540. Founded in 1853, the city is named after James P. Kirkwood, builder of the Pacific Railroad ...
. KFUO is a
daytimer A clear-channel station is an AM radio station in North America that has the highest protection from interference from other stations, particularly concerning night-time skywave propagation. The system exists to ensure the viability of cross-co ...
station. By day, it is powered at 5,000
watt The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of power or radiant flux in the International System of Units (SI), equal to 1 joule per second or 1 kg⋅m2⋅s−3. It is used to quantify the rate of energy transfer. The watt is named after James ...
s, using a
non-directional antenna In radio communication, an omnidirectional antenna is a class of antenna (electronics), antenna which radiates equal radio power in all directions perpendicular to an axis (mathematics), axis (azimuthal directions), with power varying with angle ...
. But KFUO operates on the same frequency as Class A
KOA (AM) KOA (850 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Denver, Colorado. Owned by iHeartMedia, it serves the Denver-Boulder media market. KOA broadcasts a news/talk radio format, and is also the flagship station of the Denver Broncos, Co ...
Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
. So KFUO must
sign off A sign is an object, quality, event, or entity whose presence or occurrence indicates the probable presence or occurrence of something else. A natural sign bears a causal relation to its object—for instance, thunder is a sign of storm, or me ...
at sunset, Denver time. As such, the on-air hours vary depending on time of year. The station's website plays sacred music when the 850 signal is
dark Darkness, the direct opposite of lightness, is defined as a lack of illumination, an absence of visible light, or a surface that absorbs light, such as black or brown. Human vision is unable to distinguish colors in conditions of very low lu ...
. KFUO broadcasts using HD Radio technology. The
transmitter In electronics and telecommunications, a radio transmitter or just transmitter is an electronic device which produces radio waves with an antenna. The transmitter itself generates a radio frequency alternating current, which is applied to the ...
is on the grounds of the
Concordia Seminary Concordia Seminary is a Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, Lutheran seminary in Clayton, Missouri. The institution's primary mission is to train pastors, deaconesses, Missionary, missionaries, chaplains, and church leaders for the Lutheran Chur ...
in Clayton.


Programming

KFUO's programming includes Bible studies (e.g., ''Thy Strong Word''), theological and social commentary (e.g., ''Law and Gospel'' and ''Issues, Etc.''), and Christian lifestyle shows such as ''The Coffee Hour'' and ''Midday Moments''. Several hours a day are devoted to Lutheran sacred music, which is also available on the website when the AM station is off the air during the night. The station broadcasts a total of four Lutheran church services each weekend. They are heard late Saturday afternoon, two on Sunday morning and one heard late Sunday afternoon.


History


Raising funds

The first step in the creation of KFUO was at a meeting of the Board of Control of
Concordia Seminary Concordia Seminary is a Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, Lutheran seminary in Clayton, Missouri. The institution's primary mission is to train pastors, deaconesses, Missionary, missionaries, chaplains, and church leaders for the Lutheran Chur ...
on February 19, 1923, when the chairman of the board, Richard Kretzschmar, urged that a radio station be built at either the seminary or at
Concordia Publishing House Concordia Publishing House (CPH), founded in 1869, is the official publishing arm of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS). Headquartered in St Louis, Missouri, at 3558 S. Jefferson Avenue, CPH publishes the synod's official monthly magaz ...
. The proposal was then presented to the Board of Directors of the
Lutheran Laymen's League Lutheran Hour Ministries (LHM) is a Christian outreach ministry affiliated with the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, Lutheran Church - Canada and Lutheran Women in Mission (LWML). Its mission is "Bringing Christ to the Nations—and the Nations ...
, which agreed to support the effort financially, with an initial pledge of $2,285. Students at the seminary raised $1,500 from friends and families, and also allocated $1,000 from the student treasury. The St. Louis Lutheran Publicity Association promised $1,000 for annual maintenance. In total, $7,000 was raised by the end of May 1923. Since the project was estimated to cost $14,000, the seminary board asked the
Walther League Carl Ferdinand Wilhelm Walther (October 25, 1811 – May 7, 1887) was a German-American Lutheran minister. He was the first president of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS) and its most influential theologian. He is commemorated by that ...
(the young adult organization of the LCMS) for assistance. The Walther League agreed to raise the remaining $7,000. A "radio committee" that included John H. C. Fritz (dean of the seminary) and Walter A. Maier (executive secretary of the Walther League) was formed to oversee the project.


Sign on

Construction soon began at the seminary, which at that time was located on South Jefferson Avenue in St. Louis. The control room and studio for the 500-watt transmitter were located in the attic of one of the seminary buildings. The license to broadcast was issued on October 25, 1924, and the next day (October 26) the station went on air for the first time to cover the laying of the cornerstone for the new seminary being constructed in Clayton. The station was formally dedicated and began regular broadcasting on December 14, 1924.


Early programming

Initially the station broadcast two programs each week and shared the 550 kHz frequency with station KSD (now KTRS), which was owned by the ''
St. Louis Post Dispatch The ''St. Louis Post-Dispatch'' is a major regional newspaper based in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, serving the Greater St. Louis, St. Louis metropolitan area. It is the largest daily newspaper in the metropolitan area by circulation, surpass ...
''. In 1927, the
Federal Radio Commission The Federal Radio Commission (FRC) was a government agency that regulated United States radio communication from its creation in 1927 until 1934, when it was succeeded by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The FRC was established by t ...
moved KFUO to a time share with station KFVE (later KWK) at 1280 kHz, but reversed that decision a month later. That same year the station moved to the new campus of Concordia Seminary in Clayton. The $50,000 cost of the new facilities and 1000-watt transmitter was funded by the Lutheran Laymen's League. The League also agreed to provide $20,000 to $25,000 annually for operations. Under the agreement, which had been accepted by the LCMS convention on June 15, 1926, the station was placed under the authority of the seminary's Board of Control. The new facilities were dedicated, and broadcasting begun, on May 29, 1927. By 1928 the station was broadcasting 21 hours per week. Under the terms of the shared frequency arrangement with KSD, KSD had 80% of the broadcast time while KFUO had 20%. In 1936, KFUO petitioned the
Federal Communications Commission The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains jurisdicti ...
(FCC) to allow it to use 50% of the time and increase its transmitter power to 5,000 watts, and in September of that year KSD petitioned the FCC to move KFUO to a different frequency so that KSD would have exclusive rights to the 550 kHz frequency. While the FCC was considering both petitions, Elzey Roberts, the publisher of the '' St. Louis Star-Times'', offered to buy KFUO for $100,000, but the offer was declined. In March 1938, the FCC denied both petitions. KFUO appealed, but the
United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (in case citations, D.C. Cir.) is one of the thirteen United States Courts of Appeals. It has the smallest geographical jurisdiction of any of the U.S. federal appellate co ...
affirmed the decision in 1939.


Changing frequencies

In 1940, KFUO petitioned the FCC to move it to the 830 kHz frequency and to increase its transmitter power to 5,000 watts. The FCC approved the move to 830 kHz on July 1, 1940. The request for the 5,000-watt transmitter was approved in November of that year, but the new transmitter did not become operational until September 1941. Many stations were required to change frequencies in 1941, with the enactment of North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement (NARBA). The FCC reassigned KFUO to 850 kHz, where it has remained. Because it is a
daytimer A clear-channel station is an AM radio station in North America that has the highest protection from interference from other stations, particularly concerning night-time skywave propagation. The system exists to ensure the viability of cross-co ...
, KFUO operates between 80 1/2 and 102 1/2 hours per week, depending on the times of sunrise and sunset in
Denver, Colorado Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
, where KOA, the clear-channel station on the 850 kHz frequency, is located. The increase in power and broadcast hours required the erection of a new tower and antenna system, installation of the new transmitter, and the renovation and enlargement of the studio. During this time, KFUO also began broadcasting ''
The Lutheran Hour ''The Lutheran Hour'' is a U.S.-based Christian radio program produced by Lutheran Hour Ministries. The weekly broadcast began on October 2, 1930, as an outreach ministry of the Lutheran Laymen's League, part of the Lutheran Church–Missouri S ...
'', which is still heard on over 700 stations worldwide. On November 7, 2022, STLToday.com reported that KFUO has asked the FCC for permission to buy
KXFN KXFN (1380 AM broadcasting, AM) is a radio station in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri. It is owned by Relevant Radio, Relevant Radio, Inc. and airs an English language Christian radio, Catholic radio format, format. The station has a colorful hist ...
(1380 AM) for $570,000 from Catholic talk radio network
Relevant Radio Relevant Radio (corporate name Relevant Radio, Inc.) is a radio network in the United States, mainly broadcasting talk radio and religious programming involving the Catholic Church. It is the largest Catholic radio network by owned station base. R ...
. This would provide KFUO a night-time AM signal in St. Louis.


FM radio

FM station KFUO-FM, originally at 104.1
MHz The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), equivalent to one event (or cycle) per second. The hertz is an SI derived unit whose expression in terms of SI base units is s−1, meaning that one he ...
, began operation in 1948 as a
simulcast Simulcast (a portmanteau of simultaneous broadcast) is the broadcasting of programmes/programs or events across more than one resolution, bitrate or medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at exactly the same time (that is, simulta ...
of the AM station. It later moved to 99.1 MHz. In 1975, due to
Federal Communications Commission The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains jurisdicti ...
(FCC) regulations requiring separate programming on FM stations, KFUO-FM switched to broadcasting classical music. But the expense of running both stations was increasing and the Missouri Synod decided to sell the FM outlet. In March 2010, the KFUO-FM was sold to Gateway Creative Broadcasting. On July 7 of that year it switched to a
Contemporary Christian Contemporary history, in English-language historiography, is a subset of modern history that describes the historical period from approximately 1945 to the present. Contemporary history is either a subset of the late modern period, or it is o ...
format, knowns as "Joy 99." It now has the
call sign In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign (also known as a call name or call letters—and historically as a call signal—or abbreviated as a call) is a unique identifier for a transmitter station. A call sign can be formally assign ...
KLJY KLJY (99.1 MHz) is a commercial-free, listener-supported FM radio station licensed to Clayton, Missouri, and serving Greater St. Louis. It is owned by Gateway Creative Broadcasting, and broadcasts a Christian Contemporary radio format known ...
.


FCC charges

In 1997, KFUO-AM-FM was investigated by the FCC. The agency charged that the LCMS had violated the FCC's Equal Employment Opportunity requirements by not hiring enough minorities and women and by requiring a knowledge of Lutheran doctrine in order to be hired by KFUO and KFUO-FM. After losing appeals within the FCC, the LCMS appealed to the
United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (in case citations, D.C. Cir.) is one of the thirteen United States Courts of Appeals. It has the smallest geographical jurisdiction of any of the U.S. federal appellate co ...
. That court found, in Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod v. FCC (1998), that the FCC's requirements were unconstitutional.


Studios and streaming

KFUO began streaming its broadcast on the station's web site, kfuo.org, in 1998. Program archives on the site were spotty until the station began formally archiving its programs in 2003. In 2004, KFUO launched its HD radio station, the first in Missouri. The studios of KFUO were moved to the LCMS International Center, the denomination's headquarters in
Kirkwood, Missouri Kirkwood is an inner-ring western suburb of St. Louis located in St. Louis County, Missouri. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 27,540. Founded in 1853, the city is named after James P. Kirkwood, builder of the Pacific Railroad ...
, on June 24, 2013, in order to provide modern facilities and to allow easier access to denomination's leaders and organizations. The transmitter remains at Concordia Seminary. At the time of the move, the old studio at the seminary had been the oldest radio studio in continuous operation in the United States. The station accepts pledges from businesses, individuals, congregations, and organizations which go directly to the station's owner, the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod. The Synod subsidizes the station as needed. KFUO derives only limited revenue from sponsorship messages and retains its non-commercial status.


''Issues, Etc.''

During Holy Week 2008 (March 18) the theological talk show, ''Issues, Etc.'', was abruptly discontinued from KFUO's program line-up after 15 years on the air. The show was distributed to Christian radio stations across the U.S. In each city outside the St. Louis area the program was sponsored by local LCMS congregations, not by KFUO or the national LCMS office. The producer and host of ''Issues, Etc.'' were fired with no explanation. Three weeks after the cancellation, KFUO management issued an official announcement citing programmatic and stewardship (business) reasons as the cause for cancellation. Management claimed that the station was running deficits into the hundreds of thousands of dollars every year, that ''Issues, Etc.'' (the most expensive program to produce at KFUO-AM) was contributing significantly to those deficits, and that the LCMS no longer had the ability to subsidize or overcome these shortfalls. There was no way to verify management's claims because the station does not have a policy of making its financial information available to the public. On April 14, 2008, a group of some 50 to 60 people suspecting ulterior motives for the cancellation held a demonstration at the LCMS International Center. An online petition to reinstate the show collected more than 7,000 signatures. ''Issues, Etc.'' resumed operations as an independent listener-supported broadcast on June 30, 2008, on another St. Louis radio station, KSIV, and through on-line internet streaming at issuesetc.org. Radio stations in five other states now carry the program live, and
podcast A podcast is a program made available in digital format for download over the Internet. For example, an episodic series of digital audio or video files that a user can download to a personal device to listen to at a time of their choosin ...
downloads are distributed through the show's website. In February 2009, the LCMS officially gave up its legal claim to the trademark name "Issues, Etc.", which it had allowed to lapse in 1999. The trademark name is now owned by Lutheran Public Radio, the current production company of ''Issues, Etc.'' On March 13, 2012, ''Issues, Etc.'' returned to KFUO in a new arrangement whereby Lutheran Public Radio pays the station for broadcast airtime. The program now maintains complete control of its own financial matters and program content as gained following the 2008 split.


Awards

In 2000, KFUO won a "Gold Angel" award at the 23rd annual "International Angel Awards" ceremony held in Hollywood, California. The award is the highest honor bestowed by Excellence in Media, a Hollywood-based organization devoted to promoting morality in film, television, video, radio, and print.


See also

*
Louis J. Sieck Louis John Sieck (March 11, 1884 – October 14, 1952) was a Lutheran minister. He was the president of Concordia Seminary in St. Louis from 1943 to 1952. Early life and education Sieck was born in Erie, Pennsylvania, on March 11, 1884. His fa ...


References


External links

*
FCC History Cards for KFUO
{{Daytime-only radio stations in Missouri FUO FUO (AM) Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod