"The Station Where Your Friends Are"

KJAN has been filling the airwaves of Southwest and West Central Iowa with friendliness for 75 years

If you find yourself taking in the beauty and uniqueness of the rolling hills area of Audubon and Cass Counties in Iowa, I recommend finding KJAN AM 1220 or FM 101.1 on the dial to make the experience more complete. These unique rural communities are surrounded by gorgeous rolling farmland and full of fun local history from Albert “the Bull” in Audubon to the Danish Windmill in Elk Horn.

KJAN is a “variety” programmed station that has both kept up with the times while also not dare leaving its community’s needs and preferences behind. From a call-in Trading Post show to hearing the Beatles rock out on a cold, sunny afternoon to local sports highlights from state wrestling to classical music on Sunday evenings — KJAN truly provides variety while also being incredibly consistent to its listeners as the heartbeat of the community.

Impressed by their ability to create such uniqueness in commercial radio in 2025, I reached out to General Manager, Jim Field, to learn more about their methodology and history. Jim graciously accepted my invitation, and we sat down in his office at KJAN to chat about the big business of commercial radio in small town Iowa. Jim is standing second from right in the back row in this warm KJAN team photo.

“We do as much as we can for everyone,” said Jim, “Stay with your roots and give people what they want, and they’ll stay with you.”

Jim joined the radio station in 1988 after graduating from Iowa Central Community College’s radio program. Originally from Dubuque, his first position was as News and Sports Director.

“I interviewed on a Saturday, took the job on a Monday, started on a Thursday and I’ve been here ever since.”

KJAN first hit the airwaves in 1950. World War II veteran, George Basil Anderson, had a religious calling and started several stations with Christian programming. Locals always said KJAN originally stood for “Keeping Jesus Always Near” but that’s just lore according to Jim. It was actually named after Anderson’s daughter, Janice. Anderson named several stations after his kids.

KJAN became commercially owned in 1955 when local businessman Franklin Miller led a small group to purchase the outfit. Their first advertiser was Brayton Produce (Brayton is home of the Iowaconic tree in the middle of the road below) sponsoring the noon news. KJAN continues many of the original principles established from this group in the 1950s. And these principles have proven to be successful with a current book of local business support that exceeds over 300 separate entities. KJAN is an important community asset and recognized as such.

Jim summarized these principles as such, “Don’t forget the listener. Sound like the community. And, be interested in listening.” He continued, “we are the media outlet for our community in so many ways, from vehicles, to combines, to radios on kitchen counters.”

KJAN has seen its fair share of change over the years. Jim chuckles when recalling the original methods with tape used back in the day, phone interviews with funeral homes for obituary information and all the legwork that once went into a story that is now replaced by a simple internet update. Understanding their role, KJAN has found numerous ways to keep with the times and operates a robust website these days with several video channels, works with the local AEA to help teens envision a career in media and has hired several folks over the years from outside Iowa looking to learn the business.

Al Hazelton, the GM that hired Jim, would always say, “Give people what they want and they’ll keep listening to you” and Jim has taken that to heart all these years.

“We used to air a show called The Worry Bird for years where folks would call in with their pet peeves about local happenings. It started in the 50s. But we cancelled it in 1994 as folks lost interest in participating because everyone knew your voice. Today, we air a 15-minute segment called Heartbeat Today where we interview neighbors to share local perspective on a wide range of issues.”

When discussing The Worry Bird show, Jim recalls acclaimed former Des Moines Register journalist Iowa Boy Chuck Offenberger and current Iowa Writers’ Collaborative writer popping over a few times for some story leads. (Hey

Chuck Offenburger

, Jim says hi and sends his best to you.)

“What works is being part of the community. We are relationship radio with our listeners.”

And Jim means this. He goes on.

“If we don’t play the chicken dance during Saturday morning’s Polka Time show, we will hear from the gals at the Avoca Nursing Home.”

And the same goes for the Good Morning Song, A a cute children’s tune Jim found decades ago, that they play every weekday at 6:45am for families rousing their littles from a good night’s slumber. “It’s truly an audio clock for folks. The rooster crows at the beginning and off you go on your day.”

You can stream KJAN here. It won’t have the little crackle of that nostalgic AM signal that provides a pleasant patina of simpler times like I did below with the sun setting over Troublesome Creek on a gravel road, but you’ll get a feel for its friendliness very quickly.

I know it especially connected with me because of its similarity to our KOMB back home in Fort Scott that naturally worked its way into my song Up on Chorito Ridge last year about my grandfather’s life. The markets, the music, the auctions, the local sports…the backdrop of a community. It’s hard for me to imagine walking into my grandparent’s house and not hearing the radio on in the background, especially in summer when the Royals were playing. Speaking of which, if I had to take an issue with Jim and KJAN — I would suggest the Royals over the Cardinals for their MLB affiliation but I’m sure Jim has a better idea of what this community prefers.

“The Station Where Your Friends Are” is celebrating their 75th Anniversary this year and it’ll likely be business as usual as they move forward in 2025 taking care of their listeners. “I always turned down other opportunities to leave KJAN because I had the opportunity to continue to grow here,” Jim said. “I’d never have guessed we’d be where we are today.”

My guess is folks throughout these Iowa communities are sure glad Jim never left for any of those opportunities, so they could all have the opportunity to grow together while keeping a firm footing in their collective roots.

Thank you for reading Chip Happens. To find more stories and insights across the state of Iowa, please consider following and supporting the many talented journalists and storytellers of the Iowa Writer’s Collaborative. You can stream my original music on all platforms and at www.chipalbrightmusic.com. My next show in Des Moines is at the amazing xBk on Sunday, April 27 with fellow IWC collaborator and talented songwriter

Maxwell Schaeffer

opening the night. Tix just $10 for an evening of stories and original music. Hope to see you there.

Also, here is the Zoom link for this month’s Office Lounge for paid subscribers to the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative. It’s always held on the last Friday of the month at noon, except for November and December, and hosted by Robert Leonard. The next session for the group is this coming Friday, March 28.

More pics below from my time in west central Iowa earlier this winter. It sure is pretty country with a lot of intriguing history. An easy drive west on I-80 from Des Moines and you’ll be in the heart of it before you know it.

Albert the Bull in Audubon.

Danish Windmill in Elk Horn.

Beautiful Lake Anita State Park.

Cass County Veterans Memorial in Atlantic

John Gingery Cabin (built 1863) in Atlantic

Holy Grail Antiques in Atlantic