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| Broadcast area | Greater St. Louis |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 99.1MHzFM (HD Radio) |
| Branding | Joy FM |
| Programming | |
| Format | Contemporary Christian |
| Subchannels | HD2:Christian CHR HD3:Conservative talk |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Gateway Creative Broadcasting, Inc. |
| KNBS,KQBS,KXBS | |
| History | |
First air date | January 1, 1948; 77 years ago (1948-01-01) |
Former call signs | KFUO-FM (1948–2010) |
Call sign meaning | KeepLivingJoY |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 65924 |
| Class | C0 |
| ERP | 100,000watts |
| HAAT | 309 meters (1,014 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 38°34′24″N90°19′30″W / 38.57333°N 90.32500°W /38.57333; -90.32500 |
| Translator(s) | HD3: 101.9 K270BW (Bellefontaine) |
| Repeater(s) | HD2: 95.5 KXBS (Bethalto) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | JoyFMonline.org |
KLJY (99.1MHz) is acommercial-free, listener-supportedFMradio stationlicensed toClayton, Missouri, and servingGreater St. Louis. It is owned by Gateway Creative Broadcasting, and broadcasts aChristian Contemporaryradio format known as99.1 Joy FM. Theradio studios and offices are on Founders Lane inDes Peres, with a St. Louis address. In addition to broadcasting music, the station also sponsors community events and activities around St. Louis.[2]
KLJY has aneffective radiated power of 100,000watts, the maximum for non-grandfathered FM stations. Itstransmitter is in Resurrection Cemetery inShrewsbury, co-located with thetowers for other St. Louis-area FM and TV stations.[3] KLJY broadcasts usingHD Radio technology. Its HD-2digital subchannel carries a simulcast of sister stationKXBS, which airs aChristian CHR format known as "Boost 95.5", while the HD-3 subchannel carries aconservative talk format branded as "NewsTalkSTL." It feeds 250 wattFM translatorK270BW at 101.9 MHz in nearbyBellefontaine.[4]
On January 1, 1948; 77 years ago (1948-01-01), the stationsigned on the air asKFUO-FM.[5] It was the FM counterpart toKFUO (850 AM), which signed on in 1924. Both stations were owned by theLutheran Church–Missouri Synod,simulcastingChristian radio programming. KFUO-FM was originally on 104.1 MHz before later moving to 99.1 MHz.
Over time, the simulcast programming was reduced. The AM station continues, to this day, broadcasting Christian programming. In 1975, to satisfyFederal Communications Commission regulations that discouraged AM and FM stations from simulcasting their programming, the FM switched to allclassical music. It only carried some religious shows and sacred music on Sundays.
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| Broadcast area | Greater St. Louis |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 99.1MHzFM |
| Branding | Classic 99 |
| Programming | |
| Format | Classical |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod |
| History | |
First air date | 1948 |
Call sign meaning | KeepForwardUpwardOnward |
| Technical information[6] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 65924 |
| Class | C0 |
| ERP | 100,000watts |
| HAAT | 313 meters |
Transmitter coordinates | 38°34′28″N90°19′32″W / 38.57441°N 90.32554°W /38.57441; -90.32554 |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
For 62 years,KFUO-FM was the St. Louis market's primaryclassical music radio station. It was branded as "Classic 99 KFUO-FM". KFUO-FM transmitted with aneffective radiated power of 100 kW. KFUO-FM's studios were located on the campus ofConcordia Seminary, one of two graduate theological seminaries operated by theLutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS). The station was owned by the LCMS, which still ownsKFUO (850 AM). KFUO-FM's transmitter was located inAffton, Missouri.
KFUO-FM began as a listener supported station, but later moved to a commercial format.
KFUO-FM was voted best classical music station in America in 2005.[7]
Due to the expense of running both stations, the Missouri Synod decided to sell the FM station in 2010.
"Joy FM" was founded by Sandi Brown, a formerdisc jockey onWCBW, acommercial Christian Contemporary station. (That station was sold in 1997 and its format switched tourban adult contemporary.) A new organization, Gateway Creative Broadcasting, was formed to look for a place on the FM dial for Christian Contemporary music. The creators decided from the beginning the new station would be a non-commercial, listener supported station so it would not be subject to ratings and format changes.[8] At the beginning, Joy FM had tworimshot stations operating at 94.1 (KPVR) and 97.7 (KHZR).
In March 2010, Gateway Creative Broadcasting bought KFUO-FM, with the sale approved by the FCC in May.[9] The sale upset local classical music fans, due to the loss of the only remaining St. Louis radio station devoted completely to Classical music. A petition was filed with theFCC, alleging that the pending transfer was not open to public bidding, though it was unsuccessful.[10] KFUO-FM signed off on July 6.[11] At 10 p.m. on July 6, 2010, KFUO-FM signed off their 62 year-old classical music format withBeethoven'sSymphony No. 9.[12][13] (Classical music returned to St. Louis later as anHD Radiodigital subchannel onKWMU-HD3, as well as translatorK297BI/WFUN-HD2.)
The new owners began broadcasting "Joy FM" at 7 a.m. on July 7 under new KLJY call letters.[14]
At the time of KFUO-FM's shutoff on July 6, 2010, the classical and sacred web stream continued at CLASSIC99.com.[15] Ron Klemm, Dick Wobbe, and John Clayton, all formerly of KFUO-FM, continued the music ministry, which has grown since 2010. CLASSIC99.com remains active and continues to stream classical and sacred music.[16] It continues to look for new digital delivery channels for its local and worldwide audience.
Since April 2013, CLASSIC99.com has shared its music library of some 30,000 CDs with a new classical broadcast station in St. Louis branded as "RAF STL" and founded in part by former KFUO-FM program director Jim Connett.[17] The new station features Tom Sudholt of KFUO-FM each afternoon and early evening.WRR-FM inDallas, Texas has also shared its music library with the new station, which broadcasts a low power analog signal on107.3 MHz and a 48 kbit/second digital stream on 96.3-2, an HD channel of FM stationWFUN-FM.[18]