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About 90.7 KFSR - "Full Spectrum Radio"

Mission Statement:
90.7 KFSR is a non-commercial member supported radio station dedicated to connecting the San Joaquin Valley's creative community through unique, high quality music, performance and public affairs programming that informs, educates, entertains and inspires. 90.7 KFSR is also a dynamic, educational resource, providing Fresno State students with valuable, real world experience in radio and media operations.

Vision Statement:
90.7 KFSR is the radio station that innovative thinkers, creative professionals and those interested in the arts and culture in the San Joaquin Valley turn to for diverse, stimulating and high quality programming not available through traditional commercial media outlets. 90.7 KFSR enriches the lives of Valley residents and makes Fresno a better place to live.

KFSR, and the entire Fresno State broadcasting program, can trace its origins back to the early days of the school, when the campus was then known as Fresno State College, and was located at the current site of Fresno City College. At that McKinley Avenue location, FSC had several courses in radio production and radio broadcasting. As newly discovered photos reveal, students in the 1940's took part in live radio theatre productions.  After the campus moved to its current Shaw Avenue site in 1958, radio operations were directed under the auspices of what was then the Radio-TV Department.  Eventually the radio "station" assumed the call letters KFSR, which of course, represents "Fresno State Radio". However, until 1982, the station was a closed circuit station, broadcasting only on campus to the dorms and Student Union. Then, in 1982 KFSR received an initial $50,000 grant from the Associated Students Inc. paving the way to make KFSR a true broadcast FM station. After obtaining the necessary FCC approval, the station began broadcasting at 90.7 megahertz on the evening of October 31, 1982. The station's original mix of programming included jazz in the mornings and rock and roll in the evenings.  Because the station was no longer directly affiliated with the R-TV Department (today Mass Communication and Journalism), KFSR began to incorporate students from other major fields of study on campus, for both on air and managerial positions.

Shortly after KFSR began operations the station encountered several problems. First was the relatively low power of the station, then only 250 watts. That problem was then compounded with the creation of another nearby station, KUFW-Woodlake, at 90.3 FM. In 1984, KFSR filed an application with the FCC to increase its power to 2600 watts, and finally in early 1987, the FCC granted its approval. Following the power increase, the station officially adopted the nickname "The Mighty 90.7." At the same time, the station also augmented its in studio equipment, much of which was decades old. The addition allowed for the completion of an originally proposed production room to allow the station to function more efficiently. In the early 1990's after years of faithful service, the station's original transmitter suffered a catastrophic failure, temporarily silencing the station until a new unit was purchased and installed.

In the year 2000, the station ventured onto the internet for the first time, launching its website, (now kfsr.org). In 2001, the station began an ambitious plan to modernize both its studio and its equipment (much of it dating back to 1982 or earlier). In 2001, aging cart machines were replaced by new MiniDisc units, and in 2002, a digital audio workstation was added to the production room. Also in 2002, the station celebrated its 20th anniversary with the release of a special compact disc titled "A Salute to Local Bands: Fresno's Greatest Unknown Hits." In addition, the station hosted a 20th Anniversary concert, featuring local bands Let's Go Bowling, Sparklejet, 40 Watt Hype, and the Sleepover Disaster. In 2003 KFSR continued its path toward modernization with other technical improvements, most notably, addition of another audio workstation to the control room, to facilitate digital storage and playback of audio files live on the air. In September of 2003 KFSR celebrated the debut of a new live audio stream that can be heard worldwide via the internet at KFSR.org. In December of 2006, the station added Garrison Keillor's A Prairie Home Companion to its brodcast schedule.

KFSR reflects the diversity of the community through musical, cultural, educational, and public affairs programming. KFSR is dedicated to providing Fresno area audiences with programming that would otherwise be unavailable in the Valley. The station features major blocks of jazz and "evening eclectic" prorgamming, as well as specialty shows including blues, reggae, r&b, folk and more. KFSR also offers distinctive locally produced cultural programming, such as the weekly Armenian program Hye Oozh, the South East Asian S.E.A. Show, and others. KFSR produces local public affairs programs like The Pulse and San Joaquin Spotlight.