The CN radical was generated in a jet with an inert buffer gas, helium from high voltage dc discharge of the precursor $CH_3CN$. The Fourier transform emission spectra of the O-O band of the $(B^2{Sigma}^+{ o}X^2{Sigma}^+)$ transition of CN have been obtained with a Bruker IFS-120HR spectrometer. The spectra show an anomalous distribution of rotational intensity which cannot be explained by a simple Boltzmann distribution. The analysis of the transition frequencies provides molecular constants with high accuracy for both the ground and the excited electronic states of the CN radical.