KJNW (88.5

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 ...

, "Life 88.5") is a listener-supported, non-

commercial Commercial may refer to: * a dose of advertising conveyed through media (such as - for example - radio or television) ** Radio advertisement ** Television advertisement * (adjective for:) commerce, a system of voluntary exchange of products and s ...

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 Kansas City, Missouri. The station is owned by Northwestern Media, a ministry of

University of Northwestern – St. Paul University of Northwestern (UNW) is a private Christian university in Roseville, Minnesota. History It was established in 1902 as ''Northwestern Bible and Missionary Training School'' by William Bell Riley, a pastor at First Baptist Churc ...

, and airs a Contemporary Christian music

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 ...

. KJNW's studios and offices located on Indian Creek Parkway, Overland Park, Kansas City, while its

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 located on Wallace Avenue in Kansas City, near

Interstate 435 Interstate 435 (I-435) is an Interstate Highway beltway that encircles much of the Kansas City metropolitan area within the states of Kansas and Missouri in the United States. Route description I-435, a loop route of I-35, is long and i ...

. It broadcasts an HD Radio signal, and features a Christian talk and music format on its HD2 subchannel.

History

The station

signed on Signing may refer to: * Using sign language * Signature A signature (; from la, signare, "to sign") is a handwritten (and often stylized) depiction of someone's name, nickname, or even a simple "X" or other mark that a person writes on do ...

the air on August 9, 1970. Its

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 ...

was KLJC and was owned by the

Calvary Bible College Calvary University is a private Christian university in Kansas City, Missouri. In 2019, total enrollment was 430, with undergraduate enrollment of 348 and graduate enrollment of 82. History The university originally opened in 1932 as Calva ...

. The station aired a Christian radio format, including music and teaching programs. At first, the station ran at only at 510 watts, a fraction of its current power. By 1980, the power was boosted to 6,000 watts, allowing it to cover Kansas City and its adjacent suburbs. It added news from the ABC Information Network. In the early 2000s, the power was raised to the maximum 100,000 watts, using Kansas City's tallest FM and TV antenna on Wallace Avenue, giving KLJC coverage over much of Western

Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...

and Eastern

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to th ...

. After running the station for 33 years, the college sold the station

University of Northwestern - St. Paul A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

in January 2013 for $6 million. On June 16, 2013, the call letters were changed to KJNW, to reflect the station's new owner. In 2014, KJNW was a top 3 finalist for CMB Large Market Station of the Year. That same year, "Life 88.5" also finished as runner-Up for the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) Station of the Year. In 2021, KJNW was named the CMB Large Market Station of the Year. Life 88

References

External links

JNW Northwestern Media {{Missouri-radio-station-stub JNW Contemporary Christian radio stations in the United States 1970 establishments in Missouri Radio stations established in 1970