KAJO

The Grants Pass Broadcasting Corporation, a partnership of James O. "Jim" Wilson Jr. and Jim T. Jackson, applied for a construction permit to build a new 1,000-watt, daytime-only radio station in Grants Pass on October 1, 1956; the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) granted the application on May 1, 1957.^[3] Wilson had been encouraged to become a station owner while selling ad time on a station in Klamath Falls; a national appliance salesman told him to move to Grants Pass, which at the time only had one station.^[4] A third partner, Phil Jackson, was added to the ownership group in 1958, and the station increased its daytime power to 5,000 watts in 1960.^[3] The Jacksons would remain part-owners until 1973, when Wilson bought them out and made Elzie Parker, a longtime friend, the only other partner in the business.^[3][4]

In the 1980s, Jim Wilson's son Carl Wilson and his brother Matt became involved in the management of the station.^[4] Grants Pass Broadcasting also expanded in 1993 by starting KLDR (98.3 FM).^[4] Carl Wilson became a state legislator from 1999 to 2003; he left the legislature citing its dysfunction, noting that there were five special sessions in 2002, and returned to focus on KAJO, where he hosts a talk show.^[5] When Wilson returned to the legislature, he stopped hosting his show during election season to avoid a conflict of interest, though he continued to purchase campaign advertising to air on his own stations.^[6]

Grants Pass Broadcasting acquired KRRM (94.7 FM), then off the air, in 2020, giving it a third station in the area.^[7]

KAJO also broadcasts on the following FM translator: this improves the coverage and provides high fidelity stereo sound.