Jefferson Public Radio's flagship station, KSOR, was established in 1969 on the campus of Southern Oregon University (SOU) in Ashland, Oregon. From a tiny 10-watt student run station, KSOR evolved to become a regional public radio service reaching over 1 million potential listeners in a 60,000-square-mile area of Southern Oregon and Northern California via the largest translator network in public radio.

As KSOR has grown, it has developed a network of satellite radio stations and now goes by the name Jefferson Public Radio (JPR), making reference to the mythical State of Jefferson, which roughly corresponds to the listening area served by JPR. JPR is owned and operated by Southern Oregon University and extends the University's regional educational mission by promoting lifelong learning and fostering the development of the human creative and intellectual spirit in the region.