BOARD CANDIDATE’S STATEMENT

submitted by

Mark Hernandez

Candidate Statement

I have been a KFCF volunteer since 1980 and  have served as Board Member for nearly two terms.  I was the Fresno representative to the KPFA Local Advisory Board since 1999, following the KPFA lockout.  I have been elected to the KPFA Local Station Board, and am presently serving as the KFCF Representative to the KPFA LSB.

The founding documents of FFCF show that we provide a forum for all points of view, inclusive to all, exclusive to none.  I point out that while KPFA is “Peace and Social Justice Radio”, it is KFCF that is “Free Speech Radio”.

Without that, KPFA would never have been heard in the Central Valley, and KFCF would never have been in the position to help save KPFA during their own internal problems.

I support continued cooperation with KPFA as well as continued expansion of local programming and events by both KFCF and FFCF.

Responses to questions:

1.  I have over 20 years of radio production, broadcasting and management experience, in addition to working closely with KPFA and Pacifica Radio for over 8 years as both an elected and appointed representative for the Central Valley.

2.  Our purpose is to provide the voices that cannot be heard elsewhere on the radio dial; to be apart from mainstream and special interest media and provide facts and information that cannot be found elsewhere; to both explore the means and implementation in order to allow these to be done.

3.  To protect the Foundation that owns and operates KFCF, as well as the basis for which the KFCF license was granted; to expand the membership of the Foundation and provide more stable funding to maintain operations; to provide a resource to the whole community that will draw in more members, listeners and supporters without being enmeshed in any single or secular aspect.

4.  Through the Foundation’s own resources, sponsoring events and activities, and indicating that similarly diverse programming can be found on the KFCF airwaves; by encouraging the development of programming for KFCF that does not presently exist nor serve a particular interest; by cooperating with KPFA and Pacifica in development of such programming if local resources cannot be readily found.

5.  The FFCF Board has a representative on the KPFA Local Station Board, which in turn reports to the Pacifica National Board.  That representative, as well as the FFCF Executive Director and KFCF Programming Director, work in cooperation with KPFA station management and Pacifica programming to develop and promote cooperation, coordinate event coverage and produce programming jointly from time to time.  However, KFCF is and should always remain independent in nature; we do not take NPR/PBS funding, for example, and are not restricted as much in what we can and cannot program for.

| Mark Hernandez | Janet Slagter | Gerry Bill | Sue Kern | Ali Rezapour |