KXOK (defunct)

KYFI (630 AM) is a Conservative Christian radio station broadcasting from St. Louis, Missouri. KYFI is owned and operated by Bible Broadcasting Network, Inc.BBN Stations – KYFI
BBN Radio. Accessed October 28, 2013 KYFI's transmitters are located near Gateway Motorsports Park in Madison, Illinois.

The 630 frequency had previously been KXOK, which in the 1960s was one of the leading radio stations in St. Louis, and religious station KJSL from 1994 to 2013.

History

Construction of KXOK

In 1935, Elzey Roberts, publisher of the ''St. Louis Star-Times'', applied for a license to put a new radio station on the air. He already owned station KFRU in Columbia, and wanted a station in the larger St. Louis market. But his license request was challenged by two other stations in the market, KSD and WIL; the legal battle dragged on until late 1937, when the court granted Roberts' request and the FCC assigned the KXOK call letters. WIL attempted to appeal the case to the Supreme Court of the United States, but in late March 1938, they lost when the court refused to review the case, affirming the FCC's grant; KXOK was given permission to begin building the new station. General manager Ray V. Hamilton announced the station would be dedicated in mid-August 1938, but there were further delays in building it.

KXOK finally made its debut on September 19, 1938. Allen Franklin was the first program director; he came from station WLW in Cincinnati. Among the air staff was Paul Aurandt, who came there from KOMA in Oklahoma City and would later become famous as Paul Harvey. KXOK began its life at 1250 kHz and was affiliated with the Mutual Broadcasting System; however, on October 26, 1940, it moved to 630 kHz and became affiliated with NBC Blue (later called the Blue Network). The KXOK shift to 630, which also saw the station move from Venice, Illinois to its site at Madison, also benefited Roberts's station in Columbia, which went full-time on 1270 kHz, and WGBF of Evansville, Indiana, which ceased sharing time with KFRU and went full-time on 1250. Elzey Robert continued to own the station until 1954, when his son, Elzey Roberts, Jr., and an associate, Chester L. Thomas, took it over, doing business as KXOK Broadcasting, Inc.

Change of ownership

In early November 1960, the station changed hands, when Roberts and Thomas sold the station to Robert and Todd Storz, for the sum of $1.5 million. The station changed format not long after to a new Top 40 sound. Nicknamed "The Sound and the Spirit of St. Louis" and "The Fun Spot," KXOK became part of the Storz family of stations (other stations in the group included WHB across the state in Kansas City, WQAM in Miami, WTIX in New Orleans