KNLJ

KNLJ digital channel 20 is a full-powered Christian television station, licensed in Jefferson City, Missouri, USA, with studios near New Bloomfield. KNLJ is owned by the Christian Television Network. They broadcast only Christian programming from CTN 24 hours a day.

History

The station first signed on on Easter Sunday in 1986 at 3PM, as a sister station and simulcast to KNLC in St. Louis, Missouri; both stations at the time were owned by Reverend Larry Rice's ministry, the New Life Evangelistic Center. In September of 1986, KNLJ broke away from KNLC, still running most of the same Christian programs such as 700 Club, Richard Roberts, Jerry Falwell, among others as well as locally produced programs from the ministry. They also ran secular shows about 12 hours a day such as syndicated cartoons, some classic sitcoms, westerns, and outdoor sporting shows. In 1990, KNLJ affiliated with Fox Kids and also ran Disney Afternoon. A few years later when Jefferson City got its own Fox Affiliate, a low powered station, Fox Kids moved there. As the 1990's progressed, the secular shows were becoming more low budget. Much of this was because of the availability of product, amount of stations in the market increasing, and changes in the needs of the station itself.

In mid-2007, the station was sold to the Christian Television Network, with the New Life Evangelistic Center retaining KNLC. After the sale, the intellectual unit of KNLJ was shut down totally. Both Secular and Christian programming was dropped in favor of simulcasting the Christian Television Network full-time. Some shows on CTN did previously air on KNLJ but that was fully coincidental. The religious groups had previously bought time both on CTN and KNLJ.

External links

• KNLJ Official site

• Query the FCC's TV station database for KNLJ
• BIAfn's Media Web Database -- Information on KNLJ-TV