Station History

Factual data from across KJNB’s history is scarce.   The below has been culled from local newspapers and interviews with previous staff members.

Monday, December 6, 1954, from 4:00pm-5:30pm, KJNB Radio (then KSJU) was broadcast for the first time at 25 watts.  This broadcast was limited to the immediate grounds of Saint John’s University’s campus in Collegeville, MN.  The station was built by Father Casper Keogh, the general manager was Dick Borzyskowski, and the program director was Charles Geroux.  The station was begun in conjunction with a Radio Speech class taught by Father Cuthbert Soukup.  The station broadcasted at 1000 on the AM dial.  During this period the station mainly broadcast campus information, classical music, and special programming like Christmas shows.  KSJU was housed in the Radio Workshop building.

In February of 1965, KSJU went co-ed by bringing on students from Saint John’s University’s sister college, the College of Saint Benedict just down the road in St. Joseph, MN.  Bennies were first brought in by Ernie Lawrence, the sales manager of KSJU in reporting, interviewing, emceeing, and copy-editing positions.  Joanne Meyer was the student coordinator from St. Ben’s.  During this time KSJU broadcast to both campuses, sending local news about both campuses and various musical styles.  KSJU broadcasted at 1600 on the AM dial.

KSJU’s FM application was approved by the FCC in September of 1976.  By November of 1977 KSJU was broadcasting at 600 AM and 89.1 FM.  KSJU played progressive rock, jazz, blues, western and country, and also broadcast news, debates and other informational programming.

In November of 1979 KSJU had a range of 35 miles;  a staff of 116 people and was still completely student run.

In 1982, the FCC began to look more closely at KSJU, and decided that the station either needed to go commercial or have the radio antennae re-frequencied, both very expensive options.

In October of 1984 KSJU still held onto their FM signal, but had been moved (‘re-frequencied’) to 96.5 FM.  At this time KSJU moved out of their offices in the basement of Benet Hall to what we assume was the basement of Mary Hall.

In 1991, KSJU was broadcasting at 99.9 FM after having the 96.5 signal bought out by Regent Communications.

Sometime between 1991 and 1994, KSJU was completely removed from the air waves. Investigation into this time period is forthcoming.  In January of 1994 KSJU reorganized into KJNB with approval from the FCC.  The new call letters stand for “Johnnies and Blazers” to better incorporate the St. Ben’s campus and students.  During the 1990’s KJNB broadcasted over CSB/SJU’s closed -circuit TV Channel 6, and also came up with an ingenious way of getting their music on the radio; informing students that they could split their cable between their TV and radio, and get KJNB by tuning their radio to 99.9 FM.

In 1998, KJNB became an online broadcaster, using Real Audio and the technical skills of Dan Sis from CSB/SJU’s IT Services at kjnb.org.  This lasted until 2002.  After this KJNB broadcasted online from a section of CSB/SJU’s official website at www.csbsju.edu/kjnb.  KJNB moved from Mary Hall to the basement of Guild Hall sometime between 2000-2002.

KJNB currently operates out of the basement of Guild Hall (with recent renovations), broadcasts over closed-circuit channel 6 and through www.kjnbradio.org, and has a total working population of 42 members.

Tidbits:

It is rumored that KSJU was the first ‘stereo’ AM station, with this feat accomplished by broadcasting the left channel at one frequency and the right channel on another, with the listener positioning two radios set at the separate frequencies side by side.

Several important figures in radio have sprung from KSJU, including MPR’s Gary Eichton, among others.