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FFCF Mission

  Fresno Free College foundation is a community-based membership organization dedicated to the principles that the well-being of the community is measured by the respect that it shows for the civil liberties, intellectual and artistic freedom of its citizens, and that the exercise of this freedom enriches the individual and society as a whole.

  Since 1968, the Foundation has provided a flexible and responsive institutional structure for fostering the intellectual and political growth of the community.  The Foundation is recognized by the State and Federal governments as a charitable and non-profit corporation under Section 501 ( c ) ( 3 ) of the IRS Code.  Operational funds are derived from annual membership dues and from contributions.  The Foundation is governed by a Board of Directors.  Day-to-day operations are in the care of an elected president as outlined in the by-laws of the organization, and paid staff.

  The Foundation operates both a general fund of discretionary monies disbursed by the Board and special funds for which underwriting is independently sought and earmarked funds accepted.  Each fund is independently responsible for generating monies toward project activities, but fiscal activities are monitored by a CPA and the Foundation Board.  In the past, the Foundation has received underwriting from the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the California Council for the Humanities, the California Arts Council, the City of Los Angeles , the County of Fresno and the Central California Forum on Refugee Affairs.

  The Fresno Free College Foundation accepts and disburses monies through several funds:  KFCF, Ananda, Civil Rights Defense, Philip H. Stephens Handicapped Students, Gallery 25, Line on Line Cultural Magazine, the William Saroyan Society and the Central Mountain Waters Tibetan Refugee Fund.  The Board of Directors has sole authority over the General Fund.  The other  funds are under the guidance of special committees which operate under authority of the Board.  The FCC license for KFCF - 88.1 FM in Fresno is held by the Foundation under authority of the Board of Directors.

  The Foundation office and KFCF Studio are located at 1449 N. Wishon Avenue in Fresno , California 93728 .  Our mailing address is PO Box 4364 Fresno , CA 93744 . We are on the worldwide web at www.kfcf.org and our email address is kfcf@kfcf.org .

KFCF 88.1 FM

KFCF 88.1 FM began broadcasting on June 9, 1975, and, at that time, was the only public electronic medium serving the Fresno area.  The station broadcasts 24 hours a day with 50,000 watts of equivalent effective power from a transmitter site at Meadow Lakes , 30 miles northeast of Fresno in the Sierra Nevada .  With a elevation of 5,200 feet, the signal can be received as far north as Modesto and as far south as Bakersfield , as well as in many Sierra foothill communities.  

Pacifica Radio station KPFA 94.1 FM in Berkeley is KFCF’s affiliate / network.  KPFA has been broadcasting since 1949 and provides a majority of KFCF’s programming.  Pacifica is a landmark of community radio, providing diverse programming involving public affairs, music and the arts.  Over the years, KPFA programmers have won every major award in broadcasting.  KPFA is owned and operated by the Pacifica Foundation, which also holds the license to radio stations KPFK in Los Angeles , KPFT in Houston , WBAI in New York and WPFW in Washington , D.C.   The Pacifica Foundation also operates the Pacifica Radio Archive of programs dating as far back as 1949.

Pacifica encourages and provides outlets for the creative skills and energies of the communities in which it broadcasts, with a commitment to produce programs that contribute to a lasting understanding between nations and individuals of the world.  Pacifica stations are dedicated to the distribution of information and art for the enlightenment of the communities they serve.

Ananda Fund

The Ananda Fund has been providing financial assistance to needy children in Orissa , India for 32 years.  Initiated by Ralph and Polly Victor in Seattle , Washington , the fund’s sponsorship was undertaken by the Foundation when the Victors moved to Fresno .  The program is coordinated by Joyce Victor.  Professor Samson Moharana of Utkal University is  responsible for the operation of the financial assistance program in India .  In the past year, the Ananda Fund has continued to successfully provide scholarships to children from tribal families , whose parents are  farmers with uneconomical small size landholdings and share croppers.  These children would not otherwise be able to attend school for lack of proper clothing and books.

Fresno Poets Association Fund

The Fresno Poets Association was organized to provide a forum for Fresno poets, aspiring poets and poets with national reputations who would provide programs for the literary, artistic and intellectual interests of the community.  The programs are held at the Fresno Art Museum .  Programs of the Poets Association are recorded on video tape and made available to FPA members.  The poetry events have  included local writers such as Peter Everwine, Phil Levine, C.K. Hanzlicek, Dixie Salazar, James Baloian, Wendy Rose and Jean Janzen, and recognized writers from around the nation.

Gallery 25 Fund

Gallery 25 is a cooperative of women artists from the Fresno area.  Its principle purpose is to promote the work of women artists.  The gallery came under Foundation sponsorship in 1984 and is very active with member and guest show artist showings.  

Philip Stephens Fund

The Philip Stephens Handicapped Students Fund was established in 1977 to assist handicapped students at California State University , Fresno .  Since that time grants and loans have been provided at the campus as wall as providing grants to the CSUF Disabled Students Services for purchase of computers.

Lineonline.org

Lineonline.org is an electronic fine and folk arts journal for the Fresno cultural scene.  Founded by Juliana Harris, a local artist.  The journal provides an ongoing service that features profiles, articles and commentaries about the visual and performing arts in Fresno .

William Saroyan Society

The William Saroyan Society is dedicated to preserving the legacy of the world renowned author.  The WSS sponsors several annual events in the community to celebrate the life and work of Saroyan, and educate the public about his legacy through radio programs, city walks and public educational events at Fresno State University and elsewhere.

Fresno Free College Foundation Events in 2006

Winter

Massive winter rain storms caused fatal damage to our old transmitter, sparking a highly successful fund drive to replace it with a brand new one.  After several weeks of low power broadcasting, depriving many KFCF listeners of programming, a new transmitter was installed in our transmitter facility at Meadow Lakes .

Spring

In April we presented a talk by author and reporter Aaron Glantz.  The occasion was the publication of the paperback edition of "How America Lost Iraq", a highly acclaimed book about the first years of the war by an un-embedded reporter living in the neighborhoods of Baghdad .  

In May FFCF held it's annual dinner event in North Fork featuring writer, reporter Pratap Chatterjee, the Executive Director of CorpWatch.  Pratap provided a detailed story about corruption and influence of the military contractors in Iraq .

Summer

Randy Sharp made his way back to his valley roots to perform a benefit concert for KFCF in the art deco auditorium at Redwood High in Visalia .  Randy is another one of the Valley's great contribution to country music and the singer-songwriter tradition, and author of numerous hit songs.  He played with some of his singer-songwriter buddies including Jack Wesley Routh, who wrote and played for Johnny Cash.

Autumn

Amy Goodman cruised through Fresno along with her brother David to promote their new book "Breaking The Sound Barrier" to an enthusiastic crowd that filled Machinists Union Hall on September 24.  Amy and David spoke about media and the role it has played in the Iraq War.

The  2006 FFCF Annual Banquet was held on October 1 with guest speaker, Dr. Matthew Lasar, a media historian and author of two books on the history of Pacifica Radio.  He talked about the challenges faced by alternative, non-commercial radio stations in the current media environment.

Fresno Free College Foundation Board of Directors

Rych Withers , President                                                                    

Computer/Broadcast Engineer                                                                                                                 

Ali Rezapour, Vice-President                

Physician                                                                  

Mark Hernandez, Secretary                              

Computer Consultant    

Gerry Bill, Treasurer                            

Sociology Professor, FCC                                      

Vickie Fouts, Director                                               

Social Justice Activist                           

David Gendron, Director                              

Farmer

Sue Kern , Director

Attorney

Marc Scalzo, Director

Planning Consultant

Debbie Speer, Director

Journalist

Rand L. Stover, Director

Radio Engineer

Alex Vavoulis, Director

CSUF Chemistry Professor, Retired

Mark Hernandez. KFCF Representative to the KPFA Local Station Board

FFCF / KFCF 88.1 FM Staff

Vic Bedoian

FFCF Executive Director / KFCF Program Director

Devoya Mayo

Executive Assistant

Cathy Lindeboom

Production Assistant

Rand Stover

Chief Engineer

Rych Withers

Operations Manager

FFCF Standing Committees and Chairs

Budget - Gerry Bill

Fundraising - Sue Kern

Governance - Mark Hernandez

Programming - David Gendron

Promotion - Debbie Speer