KBLJ-AM

KBLJ (1400 AM) is “Lightning 1400,” the La Junta AM station that has been serving the Arkansas Valley since 1937. If you grew up in the valley, you may remember this spot on the dial under older call letters, because it has had a few.

History

The station first signed on July 23, 1937 as KOKO at 1370 kHz. When the North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement took effect in 1941, it moved to 1400 kHz, where it has stayed. The calls became KBNZ in 1952 and KBZZ in 1960, and the station has been KBLJ since 1999.

On June 1, 2022, the station moved from news/talk to classic hits as Lightning 1400, a change RadioInsight covered under the headline “Thunder & Lightning Strike La Junta.” It has a sister station in KTHN, Thunder Country 92.1.

Local programming

The station’s own website describes a local lineup built around the valley. This, That, and the Other is a community interview show the station calls the Arkansas Valley’s longest-running radio program, and Twisting Wrenches is a Friday car-advice show hosted by Mark Sarlo. If you listened in the late 2010s and early 2020s, you’d have heard the Arkansas Valley Morning News, a local newscast credited to Anne Boswell in the Colorado Broadcasters Association results for 2019, 2020 and 2021. Pat McGee and Anne Boswell were also credited on This, That & The Other in 2020.

Call sign timeline

• KOKO (1937–1952)
• KBNZ (1952–1960)
• KBZZ (1960–1999)
• KBLJ (1999–present)

The signal

• Frequency: 1400 kHz (1370 kHz until 1941), Class C, 1,000 watts day and night
• City of license: La Junta
• Format: Classic hits
• FCC facility ID: 7047
• Translator: K282BX at 104.3 FM in La Junta
• Licensee: Thunder Media, Inc.

Ownership history

Wikipedia lists Robin Reed and Gary Reed as the owners, with Thunder Media, Inc. as licensee. Earlier owners haven’t been identified on this page yet; see the KOKO and KBZZ pages for what we’ve found so far.

Where the studios have been

We haven’t found studio addresses for KBLJ yet. If you know them, we’d love to hear from you.

If you worked at this station under any of its calls, we’d love to hear from you.

Sources

• Wikipedia: KBLJ
• KBLJ station website
• Colorado Broadcasters Association: 2020 Medium Market Radio awards