Hope Increases
Posted on Monday, July 30th 2012 at 10:54 am
We applied for an FM station in 1987. Our goal was to have a contemporary Christian FM music station to cover Tucson. When we finally signed on KGMS 97.1 FM on September 4th 1991 it was an exciting fulfillment of a dream. We played Christian rock music and our slogan was "KGMS, the only rock you need". Phil Thompson and Al Adelman were the morning guys; Lily Dolan did afternoons and programmed the music. The DJ's ministered the love of Christ between the songs, the only disappointment was our coverage. Our signal was weak in the NW part of Tucson. In fact when we turned on the transmitter at midnight on September 4th I couldn't hear the station from my home in the Casas Adobes area. We moved the tower site a few years later and that helped a little bit, but it was still not that great in the NW side of town. We then pursued a new application for 88.1 FM. It took us 5 years to get the application approved by the FCC. It was a complicated process, but in the end we were able to work out an agreement that gave Family Life Radio 88.5 FM and our organization (Good News Radio Broadcasting) received KLTU 88.1 FM (A KLOVE affiliate). When we signed the station on the air in January of 2005 from Mount Bigelow we still had a weak signal in Northwest Tucson. So when we were finally able to get approval to move to the Tucson Mountain Site (a 3 year process) and turn on the transmitter last week we were excited. Now KLTU (KLOVE) has a strong signal over the entire Tucson community! This has been a 20 year journey fulfilled and I believe God will really use the stronger signal to reach more people. Tucson has had a history of lawlessness. The epicenter of the wild wild west is Tucson. In the 1800's Tucson was the place miners and ranchers came to party. Gambling and prostitution were the major attractions, run by no less than the Sheriff. Lawlessness and corruption ruled, you may say that nothing much has changed. But, there is hope for Tucson. That hope is found in Jesus Christ. I believe that KLOVE will continue to play a role in bringing that hope will increase.
Comments:
Hi Doug,
I am so happy for you, Mary, and your team. Praise God for His faithfulness in taking you the promised land and the fulfillment of the vision that He gave you so many years ago. I also applaud your tenacity for keeping the dream alive.
By John Almond on 07/30/2012