The station signed on the air on August 9, 1970.[2] Its call sign was KLJC and was owned by the Calvary Bible College. The station aired a Christian radio format, including music and teaching programs. At first, the station ran at only at 510 watts, a fraction of its current power.
By 1980, the power was boosted to 6,000 watts, allowing it to cover Kansas City and its adjacent suburbs.[3] It added news from the ABC Information Network. In the early 2000s, the power was raised to the maximum 100,000 watts, using Kansas City's tallest FM and TV antenna on Wallace Avenue, giving KLJC coverage over much of Western Missouri and Eastern Kansas.[4]
After running the station for 33 years, the college sold the station University of Northwestern - St. Paul in January 2013 for $6 million. On June 16, 2013, the call letters were changed to KJNW, to reflect the station's new owner.
In 2014, KJNW was a top 3 finalist for CMB Large Market Station of the Year. That same year, "Life 88.5" also finished as runner-Up for the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) Station of the Year.
In 2021, KJNW was named the CMB Large Market Station of the Year.
