KJRN RADIO STATION BREAKS GROUND ON NEW ANTENNA

KJRN 88.3 The Journey, on the campus of Southwestern Adventist University, just broke ground for the new antenna. The new tower will be 350 feet tall, nearly twice as tall as the current tower, and will add approximately 300,000 people to the station’s coverage area.

“I’ve been waiting for almost four years to share this news,” says KJRN general manager and Southwestern communication department chair Mike Agee. “The engineering study is finally complete and we have our FCC approval. I don’t need to tell you how exciting it is to add that kind of coverage to our station. I’ll say it anyway - I’m very excited.”

The station was started in 1974 and the current tower was installed in 1988. Over time, MP3’s replaced tapes and records. The station slowly grew its listener base. The University invited alumnus Mike Agee to manage and revitalize the station.

The station was completely rebuilt while off-air for 5 months. Since the launch date on November 1, 2010, the station has grown from about 11, 000 listeners to over 80,000. Through the annual Sharathon fundraising event the station has become completely listener supported.

“The current tower has been effecting our growth for some time now,” explains Agee. “As you can imagine, technology has changed a bit since 1988. Johnson County alone is projected to double in population in the next ten years. We’re ready to grow with it.”

The Journey raised over $35,000 from listeners to build the new antenna. The tower is being constructed by Estes Tower Company of Burleson, whose owners are listeners and supporters of 88.3 The Journey.

“A new antenna helps us stay true to the mission of the station as it was in 1974,” says Ken Shaw, Southwestern Adventist University president. “We’re still training students and sharing about Jesus Christ. Imagine that message going to hundreds of thousands more people.”

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