History of KGPS 98

History of KGPS 98.7 LPFM

The idea of KGPSbegan at a Senior Pastor's conference in 1993-1994 when a Pastor from Twin Falls, Idaho spoke. He encouraged the other pastors to consider applying for a low power FM station through CSN via translators. Because of the opportunity to spread the Gospel to the Kingman area, Pastor Ron, along with the leadership at Calvary Chapel of Kingman, considered this.Through prayer and the leading of the Holy Spirit, they decided to apply for a full power through CSN instead. The possibility of having the Word of God available through radio to so many people was thrilling.

Ten years later and after a lot of waiting and red tape, CSN won the bid for the high power license.In the process, the location was moved to California and out of the Kingman area. So, we were back to square one.

Prior to this, in 2002, the FCC opened applications for low power stations. Considering this, it was decided to apply when Arizona opened up in 2003.

When we applied to the FCC, almost immediately a group of lawyers from San Francisco, Ca. filed against us. Theysaid that we, as Calvary Chapel, were connected together and thus a conglomeration and that we wouldn’t be adhering to the FCC rules of ownership. Getting counsel from our lawyers, we decided to fight against this challenge before the FCC. More challenges would be waged against us before the year was up.

About one year later in 2004, The FCC decided in our favor, giving us the right for our application to be considered! Now for more waiting….

With our application in place for a low power station, we began gathering information about where we could place our antenna and on what tower.

In February of 2006, Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa held a radio conference in Murrieta , California, because of all the interest within the Calvary Chapels. This would prove to be pivotal to our progress. Pastor Ron and his wife Sally went to this conference which was very encouraging to continue with the original vision that Pastor Ron had from the Lord so many years earlier. This was also a great time to share that vision again with the body at Calvary Chapel of Kingman.

As the workload began to grow for the radio station, it was decided that Sally would begin to back out of her fulltime job and begin helping Pastor Ron with the task at hand.

We were finally granted a construction permit by the FCC in August of 2006. We were on the way!

Being granted this construction permit meant that we would need to transmit from the FCC approved site within eighteen months. All the years of waiting, andnow the Lord was saying, “Move!”

Meanwhile, the Lord was also stirring the hearts of His people to donate their time to helping us at a most crucial time in preparing the programming.

Withmuchhelp from others and being led by His Spirit, we began ordering the needed components for the station. In May of 2007, we transmitted for the first time from a spot in the desert outside of Kingman. From a 20 foot pole on the back of an old 1981 Chevy truck, we hooked up the transmitter to a generator and an I-pod, and it worked! The FCC granted our license in July of 2007.

Since then, we have applied for two separate moves in order to get to the site where we are currently,on a forty foot pole and transmitter room being generously donated by a local resident. This setup has reached far beyond what we expected, reaching from the base of the Hualapai mountains to at least ten miles North on Stockton Hill Rd.

We are now looking for land on which to construct a permanent tower and transmitter room. We have also applied for an additional two high power stations in the Kingman area in order to push the signal beyond Kingman.

We marvel at God’s gracious provision to us through donations and prayer support from the body at Calvary and encouragement from the Body of Christ in the greater Kingman area. God is truly good and may His name be lifted high in Kingman!

Pastor Ron Lee