KJSL - Program and Station History

Program and Station History

Prior to adopting its current call sign and format, the am 630 frequency was used by KXOK. While KXOK had used a number of formats, it is best remembered as being a Top 40 music format during the 1960s and 1970s.

Bob Wells, radio host, of the longest-running daily program The Bob Wells Show, aired on KJSL from April 1999 until May 28, 2010 with a format of news of the day: Social, Theological, and political. Wells frequently interviewed guests from the political arena, including Presidential candidates as well as local politicians. J. Bradley Young was the political consultant and also guest hosted the program along with Author William J. Federer. Voice over talent and writer Bryan Kreutz voiced a Star Trek news segment for the Monday show as a Co-Producer sharing the duties with traffic director Jen Collins-Smith. Jen Collins-Smith and Bryan Kreutz graduated from Broadcast Center in "The Hill, St. Louis" district. The Bob Wells Show during its run was the only Christian radio program in Saint Louis to allow the caller to pick the topic for the full two-hour show on Fridays titled "Free for all Fridays". Pat Knox, who has been a producer with the program for much of its run, arranged most of the interviews and guests. Bob Wells interviewed many former guests and KJSL personalities on his final week on the air, notably Tim Berends.

Mornings with Tim & Al aired from 1994-2005 weekdays at 6–10 am. Hosted by Al Gross and Tim Berends, the show was often pre-recorded and mixed in as a live broadcast. The hosts were on-air teachers of evangelism frequently interviewing celebrities and sharing the Gospel with them. In the Spring of 2008 Tim Berends has signed on to have his own live one-hour program on Thursday nights at 8 pm (CST) titled "A million bibles for Kenya" and later re-titled to "Jesus & Tim in Las Vegas" .

Debra Peppers hosted on of the longest-running live radio program on KJSL from 1996 through May 2006 titled Talk from the Heart, a two-hour call-in interactive radio program with uplifting Christian topics. The program was produced by current KJSL Producer Pat Knox who was the lead producer for the program from July 2002 to May 2006.

In August 1998 The St. Louis Post-Dispatch published a story relating to a controversial billboard off of a major interstate near Saint Louis titled "Hell Hates Tim and Al" with flames depicted around the edges of the billboard. KJSL posted the billboard to get the word out to the public to capture the attention of potential listeners to tune in to the program "Mornings with Tim & Al".

The station's emphasis shifted briefly towards Contemporary Christian music in April 2006 as a leading theme during the rush hour drive time as well as morning commute in an effort to draw in a broad audience. The variety of program content is geared toward Christian talk radio and the music was phased out in the afternoons playing only in the mornings and on Sundays.

"The Paul McGuire Show", hosted by Paul McGuire, is a call-in interactive program with a Biblical world view. The syndicated show originated from KBRT, an affiliate located in Southern California. This program aired on KJSL for three hours and was retitled "Talk from the Heart" in the Spring of 2008. The program was aired in syndication on KJSL from 1998 through July 2008.