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KYSJ (1270 AM) is a
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 ...
broadcasting a
classic rock Classic rock is a US radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the mid 1990s, prima ...
format, licensed to
St. Joseph, Missouri St. Joseph is a city in and the county seat of Buchanan County, Missouri. Small parts of St. Joseph extend into Andrew County. Located on the Missouri River, it is the principal city of the St. Joseph Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includ ...
, United States. The station is currently owned by Eagle Communications, Inc.


History


KUSN

In 1955, Julius B. Spears, an
Overland Park, Kansas Overland Park ( ) is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of Kansas. Located in Johnson County, Kansas, it is one of four principal cities in the Kansas City metropolitan area and the most populous suburb of Kansas City, Missouri. As ...
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. 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 KFEQ (680 AM) is a commercial l 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 stati ...
radio, and KVAK (later
KAIR ''Capparis decidua'', commonly known as karira, is a useful plant in its marginal habitat. Description It is a small much-branched tree or shrub. It bears a mass of slender, gray-green leafless branches, the small caducous leaves being found ...
in
Atchison Atchison may refer to: Places In the United States: *Atchison, California, a former settlement *Atchison, Kansas, a city *Atchison County, Kansas *Atchison County, Missouri People with the surname * Bob Atchison (born 1941), Canadian drag race ...
.) 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 Robert Blake Harper (1939 – July 22, 2003) was a Canadian-born radio and video DJ. Radio Harper debuted on the air in Shenandoah, Iowa, where he worked at a radio station to help to pay his college expenses. Much of his job involved play ...
(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 KKJO-FM is a radio station in St. Joseph, Missouri, broadcasting at 105.5 on the FM dial. The station airs a Hot AC format with the brand name K-Jo 105-5. The transmitter is located across the border south of Troy, Kansas. History of KKJO-AM ...
at that time and became
KKJO-FM KKJO-FM is a radio station in St. Joseph, Missouri, broadcasting at 105.5 on the FM dial. The station airs a Hot AC format with the brand name K-Jo 105-5. The transmitter is located across the border south of Troy, Kansas. History of KKJO-AM ...
, 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).


KYSJ

On June 15, 2020, KGNM changed their format to classic rock, branded as "KY 102". The "KY 102" branding was previously on
KYYS KYYS (1250 AM) is a radio station broadcasting a Regional Mexican format. The station is licensed to Kansas City, Kansas, United States. It is currently owned by Audacy, Inc. and operations are under an LMA with Reyes Media Group. History ...
(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.Heritage KY102 Brand Comes To St. Joseph MO
Radioinsight - June 16, 2020


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References


External links

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FCC History Cards for KYSJ
{{Classic Rock Radio Stations in Missouri YSJ Radio stations established in 1956 1956 establishments in Missouri Classic rock radio stations in the United States