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Our Story
In January 2000 the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), created a frequency allotment for non-commercial community low-power FM radio stations with a maximum power of 100 watts. From that point on, the rest is history...
FALL 2000
In the fall of 2000, Tom Beard, Manager of Battlement Mesa Company (a developer in Battlement Mesa, Colorado) and Jimm Seany, broadcast journalism instructor at Mesa State College (now Colorado Mesa University, Grand Junction, Colorado) discussed forming a radio station under the new FCC Low-power FM radio station rules. Local residents Harlan Hanson and Jim Warren became involved. A first step was the formation of KSUN Community Radio, Inc., a Colorado non-profit corporation, for the purpose of operating a low-power FM station to serve Battlement Mesa and Parachute, Colorado.
NOVEMBER 2000
Tom Beard and Harlan Hanson contacted Bill Atkinson, a retired radio engineer and requested assistance with station engineering. Following a couple of informal meetings, on November 22, 2000, Tom Beard, Harlan Hanson, Jim Warren, Bill Atkinson and Linda Berry conducted the first official KSUN Radio board meeting. Harlan Hanson was elected President, Jim Warren, Vice President/Treasurer, and Linda Berry was elected Secretary. The meeting was also attended by Francis Rose representing The Sun, the community's local newspaper.
JANUARY 2001
At 10:00 AM on Tuesday, January 18, 2001, the application for a low-power FM radio station license was filed on-line with the FCC. Subsequently, the board met weekly to discuss how to finance the station and to determine equipment needs. The FCC regulations are onerous even for a low-power FM station; thus, the process was slow.
AUGUST 2001
In order to gain the knowledge needed to acquire and install the equipment necessary to begin broadcasting, during August 2001, Jimm Seany arranged three meetings between Bill Atkinson and Ken Pilling, then Operations Manager at KSTAR Radio, Grand Junction Colorado.
DECEMBER 2002
Four months later, on December 11, 2002, KSUN board members, technical volunteers Larry Huber and John Chapman, Fran Storm and Anne Huber, former employees of the Battlement Mesa Activity Center, (now Grand Valley Recreation Center) crowded into the KSUN studio and turned on the transmitter.
At first nothing happened. Larry Huber and John Chapman, made some changes to equipment settings and connections and finally, after more than two years of work, KSUN Community Radio began broadcasting. The call letters were KSBP which stood for Sun, Battlement and Parachute.
Early programming included "The History of Country Music 101" produced by Floyd McDaniel; a run of old-time radio shows; "The Carmel & Fish Show" hosted by two high school students airing popular music; "Fric and Frac" hosted my Mary Lee Mohrlang and Terry Lynott that evolved into "Community Connections", a live Friday morning interview program; and "Blessing Up" a live one-hour Sunday morning program. For many years, Floyd McDaniel hosted "The Morning Show" live every weekday morning.
2002 - 2007
From 2002 to 2007, KSUN was licensed to the 101.1 FM frequency. Low-power FM stations are "junior" to a normal station license. The KSUN Board learned the significance of this designation when, in 2007, a representative from a Cumulus Radio station in Grand Junction attended a KSUN Board meeting. He explained that Cumulus had purchased an adjacent frequency (101.3). This meant that the signals conflicted. As the "junior" licensee, KSUN was required to move to the 103.9 frequency to continue operations.
SUMMER 2013
In the summer of 2013, the KSUN board of directors learned about an opportunity to acquire its former 101.1 frequency and associated license. With the financial help of Alpine Bank, a long time KSUN supporter, the board was able to obtain the required FCC approval for the license, negotiate and purchase the license, plus equipment needed. As a condition of issuing the new license, KSUN Community Radio, Inc. turned in their low- power license and stopped broadcasting as KSBP 103.9FM at 8AM on June 27, 2013.
JULY 2013
On July 1, 2013, KSUN Community Rado acquired the KDBN license from Townsquare Media along with upgraded equipment. Within a few days of completing the installation and testing of the equipment, KDBN began broadcasting on 101.1 FM utilizing an epic pop rock music format complimented by the local programming and public interest programs that were enjoyed by listeners of 103.9.
KDBN 101.1 FM is a commercial license which allows KSUN Community Radio to accept commercial advertising. KSUN Community Radio, Inc. will continue to be a 501(c)3, non- profit entity providing quality programming which has been selected based upon input from our members and the communities that we serve.