KFUO facts for kids
| Broadcast area | Greater St. Louis |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 850 kHz AM (HD Radio) |
| Branding | WorldWide KFUO |
| Programming | |
| Format | Christian Talk |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod |
| History | |
|
First air date
|
December 14, 1924 |
|
Former frequencies
|
550 |
|
Call sign meaning
|
Keep Forward, Upward, Onward |
| Technical information | |
| Class | B |
| Power | 5,000 watts day |
|
Transmitter coordinates
|
38°38′20″N 90°18′57″W / 38.63889°N 90.31583°W |
| Links | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
KFUO (850 AM) is a Christian radio station in St. Louis County, Missouri. You can listen to it on your radio or stream it online. It is the oldest Christian radio station in the United States!
The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS) owns and runs KFUO. The station shares programs about the Bible and Christian beliefs. It also plays special Lutheran sacred music. On weekends, KFUO broadcasts four church services.
KFUO's main offices are in the LCMS headquarters in Kirkwood, Missouri. The radio tower is at Concordia Seminary in Clayton.
KFUO uses the same radio frequency as KOA (AM) in Denver, Colorado. KOA is a very strong station. Because of this, KFUO must turn off its signal at night. But don't worry! You can still listen to sacred music on the station's website when the AM signal is off.
Contents
The Story of KFUO: How It Started
The Idea for a Christian Radio Station
The idea for KFUO began on February 19, 1923. Richard Kretzschmar suggested starting a Lutheran radio station. This happened at a meeting at Concordia Seminary.
Soon, students and other Lutheran groups helped raise money. They formed a "radio committee" to manage the project.
Building the Station
Construction for the station started at the seminary. At that time, the seminary was in St. Louis. The control room and studio were in the attic of one of the seminary buildings.
KFUO received its broadcast license on October 25, 1924. The station first went on air the very next day! It broadcast a speech about building the new seminary in Clayton. KFUO officially began regular broadcasting on December 14, 1924.
In 1927, the station moved to the new Concordia Seminary campus in Clayton.
Finding Its Frequency
At first, KFUO had to share its radio frequency with other stations. This meant they couldn't broadcast all the time.
On July 1, 1940, the FCC (the government group that manages radio) let KFUO move to 830 kHz. By September 1941, the FCC moved the station again to 850 kHz. KFUO has been on 850 kHz ever since!
Because it shares a frequency with KOA in Denver, KFUO has a "limited time" license. This means it can only broadcast for a certain number of hours each week. The exact hours change depending on when the sun rises and sets in Denver.
KFUO-FM and Digital Radio
In 1948, the LCMS started an FM station called KFUO-FM at 99.1 MHz. Initially, this FM station played the same programs as the AM station.
In 1975, KFUO-FM changed to playing classical music. In March 2010, the FM station was sold to another company. On July 7, 2010, it began playing Contemporary Christian music.
KFUO started streaming its broadcast online in 1998. You could listen on its website, kfuo.org. In 2004, KFUO became the first HD radio station in Missouri. HD Radio offers better sound quality.
Changes and New Beginnings
In 2008, a talk show called Issues, Etc. was removed from KFUO. The station said it was due to money problems. Many listeners were upset. Over 7,000 people signed a petition asking for the show to return. The show eventually started again on another radio station.
On March 13, 2012, Issues, Etc. returned to KFUO! Now, the company that makes the show pays KFUO for the airtime.
On June 24, 2013, KFUO's studios moved to the LCMS International Center in Kirkwood, Missouri. This is the main office for the LCMS. The radio tower, however, is still at Concordia Seminary.
