THE KFCF CRISIS: WHAT IS IT?

by

Mark Hernandez

- Mark Hernandez is a former executive director and long-time volunteer, programmer and producer for the Fresno Free College Foundation and KFCF -

 

Founded in part as a legal defense fund for Fresno State College professors who discussed marijuana in classrooms and opposed campus administration policies during the California Reagan years, the Fresno Free College Foundation (FFCF) began on the principles of promoting free speech, rather than any particular political belief. To bring alternative viewpoints to the Central Valley, FFCF applied for and received license for KFCF-FM 88.1, the first public radio station in Fresno.

Since then, KFCF has broadcast free speech issues and programming, never taking sides, giving all a chance to present their views. As a result, KFCF has earned respect, fervent and grudging, from all points of the political compass, by being fair and unbiased for 25 years, sharing resources and technology with KPFA throughout.

Relying on subscriptions, KFCF rebroadcast KPFA through a microwave network until enough equipment could be gathered to make a workable production and broadcast studio. At that point, local programming on KFCF began production, and continues expanding.

Due to income limitations, FFCF has only been able to afford one paid staff person and office (an FCC requirement), and owns only a small amount of the broadcast equipment. Most of it, as well as use of the main studio and maintenance services, are donated by local broadcast engineers and volunteers.

The deep community respect for KFCF was expressed during the lock-out, when these engineers, their employers, volunteers, NPR affiliates, local government, and two of the ‘Big 4’ network affiliates offered assistance to support KPFA programming, keep KFCF on the air and place FLASHPOINTS FREE over the Internet.

However, a month before this, an element in the FFCF bent on destroying the historic link between KPFA and KFCF appeared.

In an open session of the FFCF Board of Directors on June 8, 1999, director Catherine Campbell, with a "friend" in Pacifica, defended the firing of Nicole Sawaya. Campbell made a motion to sever ties with KPFA, but not with Pacifica.

Although the motion failed, she and director Don Fischer began lobbying directors to break the links, and oust those who opposed them.

When the lock-out occurred in July, Campbell then convinced the board to ‘strike out’ the minutes regarding her proposal, so as to make it "never was" in light of the community uproar over the loss of KPFA.

Between then and October 1999, this anti-KPFA cabal, which had grown, began planning removal of up to 70% of KPFA programs.

This effort was undertaken in secret, without regard to two listener surveys and four community meetings in which listeners (85%) wanted KPFA maintained on KFCF, with a few added hours for local issues and news.

Meeting in executive sessions, not unlike Pacifica, the cabal was selling out members and subscribers.

This was not unexpected, however. Of the eleven directors, only two had ever stood election, as required under the FFCF By-Laws. In fact, no required annual membership meeting to hold elections had been held by the board since 1993.

According to FFCF records, only four directors had actually paid the required annual dues since 1993 -- meaning that there was neither control nor accountability by this board to its members -- another Pacifica parallel.

KFCF volunteers, however, got wind of this, in no small part due to the cabal leaders and a self-proclaimed "activist", overheard openly planning in a Fresno restaurant to oust directors who opposed them, in particular the two radio engineers who kept KFCF/KPFA programming on-air during the lockout.

Volunteers and members leafleted the FFCF banquet in October, detailing how this effort was being performed in secrecy and without regard to the wishes of the listeners and members. This information was confirmed when VP Stephen Barile announced that FFCF was "committed" to "replacing 60% to 70% of KPFA" by its President, Doug Noll.

The cabal was most revealed by Campbell, who orchestrated the illegal banning of a volunteer for the leafleting: "There is no such thing as free speech in the Fresno Free College Foundation."

Seven votes were cast on October 19, 1999 to illegally excommunicate the volunteer. The leaflet contents were never refuted or disputed. As that banished volunteer, I vividly recall this event.

The very purpose of the FFCF had been perverted by an out-of-control board of directors.

Meanwhile, members took notice from the leaflet and petitioned the FFCF board to hold the first membership meeting in nearly a decade. Faced with growing member pressure, the cabal reluctantly allowed the meeting on the last legally possible day it could be held.

The cabal consulted an attorney about collecting proxy ballots, and seven non-elected directors suddenly paid FFCF memberships, many for the first time. One, non-paying since 1993, chose Student Rate, though no one knows what school is attended -- if any.

The membership voted in a pro-KPFA/pro-local programming majority. Of the cabal, only three were elected. My excommunication was overturned, and KFCF subscribers were offered the ability to become FFCF members as a means for the listeners to protect their free speech investment.

Having failed through democracy, and now calling itself the "Community Radio Coalition", the cabal denies that it has ever supported removal of KPFA programs.

At a local Green Party meeting, however, it was verified by one of the Greens that one "Coalition" leader has stated the desire to eliminate all KPFA programs.

Although its public goal is to promote more local programs, the "Coalition" members on the FFCF board have prevented several from being placed on the air since February.

The "Coalition" cried "foul!" claiming the legal use of proxies somehow invalidated the election, despite having consulted an attorney in order to learn the procedure themselves, and began a campaign to recall the new directors even before the first meeting of the new FFCF board had been held.

In short, overturn a democratic vote and put themselves back into power.

After six months of failed attempts, the "Coalition" succeeded in preparing a legally correct recall petition. Now, KFCF, FFCF, KPFA, and 25 years of free speech and alternative viewpoints in the Central Valley, hang in the balance.

(1011 words)

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Pull Quote:

Ppgh.6: "...an element in the FFCF bent on destroying the historic link between KPFA and KFCF appeared."