KAJO (1270 AM, "KAJO AM 1270 & 99.7 FM") is a commercial AC/classic hits and news/talk radio station in Grants Pass, Oregon, broadcasting to the Southern Oregon area. It is owned by the Grants Pass Broadcasting Corporation, of which Carl Wilson is the sole owner.
| |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Southern Oregon |
| Frequency | 1270 kHz |
| Branding | KAJO AM 1270 & 99.7 FM |
| Programming | |
| Format | AC/Classic Hits/News/Talk |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Grants Pass Broadcasting Corporation |
| KLDR, KRRM | |
| History | |
First air date | August 15, 1957[1] |
| Technical information[2] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 24822 |
| Class | D |
| Power | 10,000 watts day 48 watts night |
Transmitter coordinates | 42°26′16″N 123°21′27″W / 42.43778°N 123.35750°W |
| Translator(s) | 99.7 K259AE (Williams) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | www |
History
editThe Grants Pass Broadcasting Corporation, a partnership of James O. "Jim" Wilson Jr. and Jim T. Jackson, applied for a construction permit to build a new 1,000-watt, daytime-only radio station in Grants Pass on October 1, 1956; the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) granted the application on May 1, 1957.[3] Wilson had been encouraged to become a station owner while selling ad time on a station in Klamath Falls; a national appliance salesman told him to move to Grants Pass, which at the time only had one station.[4] A third partner, Phil Jackson, was added to the ownership group in 1958, and the station increased its daytime power to 5,000 watts in 1960.[3] The Jacksons would remain part-owners until 1973, when Wilson bought them out and made Elzie Parker, a longtime friend, the only other partner in the business.[3][4]
In the 1980s, Jim Wilson's son Carl Wilson and his brother Matt became involved in the management of the station.[4] Grants Pass Broadcasting also expanded in 1993 by starting KLDR (98.3 FM).[4] Carl Wilson became a state legislator from 1999 to 2003; he left the legislature citing its dysfunction, noting that there were five special sessions in 2002, and returned to focus on KAJO, where he hosts a talk show.[5] When Wilson returned to the legislature, he stopped hosting his show during election season to avoid a conflict of interest, though he continued to purchase campaign advertising to air on his own stations.[6]
Grants Pass Broadcasting acquired KRRM (94.7 FM), then off the air, in 2020, giving it a third station in the area.[7]
Translator
editKAJO also broadcasts on the following FM translator: this improves the coverage and provides high fidelity stereo sound.
| Call sign | Frequency | City of license | FID | ERP (W) | Class | FCC info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| K259AE | 99.7 FM | Williams, Oregon | 24827 | 250 | D | LMS |
References
edit- ^ "KAJO(AM)" (PDF). Broadcasting Yearbook. 1978. p. C-178. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-10-29. Retrieved 2023-02-16.
- ^ "Facility Technical Data for KAJO". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ a b c "FCC History Cards for KAJO". Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ a b c d "KAJO's History". KAJO. Archived from the original on 2023-02-16. Retrieved 2023-02-16.
- ^ Cain, Brad (July 24, 2005). "Citizen panel to critique lawmakers". Statesman Journal. Associated Press. p. 1C, 5C. Archived from the original on February 16, 2023. Retrieved February 16, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "State representative says he steers clear of ethical dilemmas - Report: Carl Wilson among legislators who have steered campaign funds to own businesses". Medford Mail Tribune. Grants Pass Daily Courier. February 3, 2017. p. B1.
- ^ Venta, Lance (July 24, 2020). "Station Sales Week Of 7/24: EMF Expands In Central Kentucky". RadioInsight. Archived from the original on July 25, 2020. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
External links
edit- Official website
- Facility details for Facility ID 24822 (KAJO) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- KAJO in Nielsen Audio's AM station database
- Facility details for Facility ID 24827 (K259AE) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- K259AE at FCCdata.org