The story
The network's roots date back to 1957, when KBJC was launched by what was then Boise Junior College (BJC) as a carrier current station. It originally operated only when school was in session, and was a typical freeform college radio station. The station grew with the school, increasing its operating hours when BJC was upgraded to four-year status. The call letters changed to KBSC after Boise College was taken over by the state in 1967, and to KBSU after it was granted university status. In 1976, the station was granted a full FM license, and went on the air for the first time that fall. Gradually, the station began transitioning away from the freeform format, ultimately joining NPR in 1988. Before then, Boise was one of the largest cities in the western United States, and the only major market in Idaho, without a clear signal from NPR.
On October 18, 2022, Boise State Public Radio expanded to Lewiston and Pocatello. In Lewiston, Boise State Public Radio now operates KLCZ, formerly operated by Lewis–Clark State College, as a simulcast of KBSX; in Pocatello, it acquired the translator formerly operated by Salt Lake City NPR affiliate KUER-FM. Boise State Public Radio airs KBSU's musical programming in Pocatello, as the market receives NPR news programming from KISU-FM. In 2024, Boise State Public Radio acquired KWRV, a classical music station serving Sun Valley formerly operated by Minnesota Public Radio.
From Wikipedia’s article on Boise State Public Radio, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4