An Idea God Made Reality
It all started when Gale George of Montrose CO had the idea for a local religious radio station that would serve as a blessing to both the people he knew and the community in general. Nothing came from this idea at first, but then in 2000, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) made available a license to broadcast using a low-power FM radio station that would cover most of Montrose. Gale saw this as an opportunity from God and in 2001, with the help of some like-minded friends, formed the Montrose Christian Broadcasting Corporation (MCBC).
They applied for the license but it was given to another group that had also made an application. Despite being disappointed, the MCBC decided to keep looking for an opportunity to obtain a broadcasting license, and in 2009 that opportunity seemed to show itself.
The FCC released two full-power applications in the area of Olathe, just north of Montrose. Once they began looking into these applications the MCBC decided to extend positions on the board to Cedaredge, Delta, and Paonia. Sadly, Gale had already passed away in 2007, but the board was determined to remember his passion for a radio station, and so the application for the license was made and submitted in February 2010. After three long years of waiting and praying the FCC announced that, pending the decision of an Environmental Impact test, the license would be awarded to the MCBC.
You would think this was a happy ending, but a new problem soon arose. The owner of the site where the tower was going to be built died and the family chose not to honor her promise of allowing the use of her land. The Board quickly found a new site and an amended application was submitted in the summer of 2013, but nothing ever came of it.
To this day, there has been no communication from the FCC, regarding this application.
But God isn’t limited by a license, and as it turns out, He had something better planned all along.
Providentially, the MCBC Board was made aware of a party who had qualified for FCC approval and a construction permit to build an FM radio station within the parameters that MCBC had been investigating. Due to circumstances, this party needed to sell the rights to build the station immediately. MCBC therefore purchased these rights, and as an added blessing, found out that the proposed antenna site allowed the radio signal to cover nearly double the area that earlier plans had shown possible.
But there was a catch to this perfect solution.
Normally the FCC allows a potential station three years to find funds and equipment, as well as doing the construction, installation, and testing of components. Because of that, this particular project had to be completed in working order by October 31, 2014, which gave the board only six months to get everything ready.
Even though the board knew it would be a race against time, they decided that since God gave them this opportunity, He would get them to the finish line. With lots of prayers and hard work, they got everything set up on time and in December of 2014 KSYF was cleared by the FCC for full-time broadcasting.
The stories we’ve heard from people whose lives have been brightened by the programs on KSYF show us a glimpse of what God had in mind when He gave Gale the idea for a radio station all those years ago. Our goal now is to continue following God’s plan for the station in using it to reach lost souls for Jesus.