About

Why Local Christian Radio Matters More Than Ever

In a world of automated playlists and syndicated voices, something powerful is being lost: connection. Local radio—real local radio—is becoming a rare gem. But here in Bakersfield, Life FM is standing firm. We’re not broadcasting from a distant city. We’re your neighbors. We live here. We worship here. We care deeply about this community, because it’s our home too. Life FM is more than music. We’re a voice of hope. A source of daily encouragement. A steady reminder that Jesus is near, and He’s moving right here in Bakersfield. We play uplifting Christian music, share local stories that matter, and speak truth— all thanks to listeners like you.

A Proverbs 16:9 Journey—The Story of Life FM

Have you ever experienced one of those Proverbs 16:9 moments? It says, “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” You look back and see how, while you had a plan, it was the Lord guiding steps to something better. That’s what we see when we look back at the history of 88.3 Life FM. On May 4th of 1994, the station that was simply known as KAXL went on the air. There were no local DJs, just a satellite feed of music and voices from a service out of Minneapolis, MN. There were initially 2 stations owned together, KAXL and KERI. KERI was sold, leaving just KAXL as a conduit for the network feed, and Terri Blankenship took on the management of the station. Several years later, Dan Schaffer began volunteering to do some live cut-ins to give the station some local connection, and eventually created an in-house morning show. This began a process of moving away from a satellite feed, to generating our own playlists and programming. Jon Engen, who had worked for the satellite service, began to help the station in fundraising efforts to help the station grow, eventually becoming our morning host. This eventually led to the addition of Matt Pelishek in 2007, as an afternoon host, and eventually became the program director. Over the years, we saw the transition from simply KAXL as a network from out of state, to being known as Life FM, and exponential growth in listeners and community connection. Today we have a line up starting with Jon in the morning, Misti Jordan in the middays, the creation of the Afternoon Joy Ride when Aaron Perlman came on board in 2014, and James Stuart in the evenings. It was a very non-traditional path for a radio station, but God’s hand was there, guiding every step. We have since been nationally awarded ‘Station of the year’ by the Christian music broadcasters, voted as best media outlet, and The Afternoon Joy Ride won every year of ‘best radio show.’ Even with all the growth over 3 decades, we feel like God is just getting started.

Who We Are

KAXL 88.3 FM is operated by Skyride Unlimited, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Our full-time format is Adult Contemporary Christian music, designed to uplift, inspire, and bring Christ into every moment of your day.

“To glorify Jesus Christ and make His love known—through every song, every voice, every heartbeat on the air.”

Our Mission

Encourage believers in their walk with Christ
Unite the Church across Bakersfield and beyond
Share the gospel with those who need to hear it

Why Your Support Matters

Life FM is a 100% listener- and business-supported ministry. That means we rely on faithful people like you to stay on the air. There are no ads. No corporate sponsors. Just local, Christ-centered radio—powered by community support. 💙 Make a donation online here or mail your gift to: KAXL, 6542 Rosedale Hwy, Bakersfield, CA 93308 📞 Interested in business underwriting? Call us at 661.832.2800 🙏 And most of all—pray for this ministry. We are nothing without God’s leading and your prayers.

What We Believe

There is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
The Bible is the inspired, infallible, and authoritative Word of God
Jesus Christ is God—born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, performed miracles, died in our place, rose again, and will return in glory
Salvation is found through repentance and faith in Christ alone
Only through the Holy Spirit can we live a godly life
There is a real Heaven and a real Hell—and eternity matters
The Church is called to share the Gospel with the world