KFJC FM 89.7

A student-run college and community radio station licensed to Foothill College in Los Altos Hills, California, broadcasting at 89.7 MHz with a 300-watt transmitter located on Black Mountain in the Monte Bello Open Space Preserve. The station serves the southern San Francisco Bay Area and is operated as a teaching laboratory for the Fine Arts and Communications Department of Foothill College, under license to the trustees of the Foothill-De Anza Community College District. Founded on October 20, 1959, the station originally broadcast from a broom closet at the old Foothill Junior College campus in Mountain View, airing study music and pre-recorded educational materials during limited evening hours. Following the college's relocation to Los Altos Hills in 1961, the station shifted to 89.7 MHz. Early programming was conservative, but by April 1966 the station began airing rock and roll programming, marking a gradual shift toward its current eclectic identity. By 1968 the station had grown to 100 staff volunteers. The station's stated mission is to serve as a conduit for new and interesting audio art and information. Music programming spans a broad variety of genres, with DJs required to ensure at least 35 percent of their playlists consist of material added within the previous eight weeks. Most of the station's operating budget is raised through an annual October fundraiser, supplemented by events such as penny pitches and film festivals. Current programming includes remote broadcasts from music festivals, live in-studio performances, and an active record review archive.