About KBFG
On December 14, 2017, KBFG LP was licensed by the FCC with the mission to educate our community about the rich cultural heritage and the new and emerging cultural opportunities within the northwest Seattle neighborhoods we directly serve. With a focus on local music and public affairs, we are partnering with numerous organizations, including non-profits, neighborhood associations, schools and youth organizations, and local businesses, to develop programming that reflects, supports, and serves as a fulcrum, or crossroads for our community.
We Envision...
A low-power FM radio station for the Ballard, Fremont, Greenwood, Phinney and north Queen Anne/Magnolia communities, broadcasting with 100 watts or less and streaming online.
A non-profit community radio station with mostly local programming, some talk, some news, and an eclectic blend of local, live performance, modern and traditional music.
Providing a platform for youth and under-served to learn and practice journalism and broadcasting skills.
Interfacing with other community journalism efforts, like myballard.com and covering local events such as high school sports and neighborhood festivals.
A forum for local educational, environmental, social, business, and political concerns and discussion.
Staff
Our studio space was optimized and is maintained by Jeremy Smithson, assisting chief engineer Major Tim Flanagan who cobbled together a pretty nice facility after starting out with the initial shoestring setup in our first studio, the radio shack.
Our transmitter, antenna, and internet functionality wranglers are Jerry Russell, Al Barnes, Tim Flanagan, with early contributions by the late Chuck Hutton.
Board of Directors
Al Barnes
President, Fulcrum Community Communications
Al retired in 2011 from American Airlines, after a career as an aircraft maintenance technician. He has worked as a volunteer program host at KBCS radio in Bellevue, doing the show “Vintage Jazz,” for 18 years. Al’s time as a radio host gave him “a deep belief that the best in music programming is produced by those with a true love and knowledge of the music that they wish to share with others.” Al also performs in a small musical group, Al’s Novelty Syncopators, which plays music of the 1920s.
Pamela Burton
Treasurer, Fulcrum Community Communications
Founder, Puget Sound Solar
Pam is a graduate of Pacifica Radio having Degrees in Organizational Development from CA State University and Communications from Ohio University.
Pam served for 17 years with the Pacific Radio Archives as a Station Manager, Program Director and Director. She began working in public radio in 1980 moving through various positions at Pacifica’s KPFK, stations in Los Angeles, and a stint at WOUB in Athens, Ohio. After graduate school as a Center for Public Broadcasting scholar she returned to Los Angeles and served as Operations Director and Executive Director at Pacifica’s Radio Archives. Her secret weapon is hubby Jeremy Smithson.
Tim Flanagan
Board Member, Fulcrum Community Communications
KBFG Programming Director
In the mid-1980s, Tim got his start in radio at Reed College’s KRRC FM in Portland. A news department internship at KING Broadcasting’s KGW AM followed. After graduating, Tim became a talk show producer, call screener, and board operator at KGW. Alas, the tech sector beckoned, and came to dominate Tim’s career path; the next time he worked in broadcasting, it was in the 2010s, doing IT for the corporate overlords at Clear Channel (iHeartMedia). At night, unbeknownst to his employers, Tim would secretly attend meetings with the organization that would become KBFG-LP. Tim is no longer employed by iHeartMedia.
Eric Muhs
Board Member, Fulcrum Community Communications
Eric has taught for nearly 3 decades and believes that education doesn’t stop at the classroom door. He has taken students and their experiments all over the world, even the South Pole. He started making music in Seattle’s earliest punk rock / new wave scene in the late 70’s, and currently plays in a traditional Hawaiian band.
Jerry Russell
Board Member, Fulcrum Community Communications
VP of Engineering, Oracle
Jerry is a Vice President of Engineering at Oracle, managing a team of developers around the world. Jerry has held various Architect and Senior Developer roles at startups over the last 21 years including founding two startups. An Electrical Engineering graduate from the University of Washington in 1996, Jerry has been excited about broadcast technology and engineering as well as the opportunity radio provides to the community. One experience he had in high school allowed him to host a local call in radio show to discuss current events. The memory left an impression on him of the importance of involving youth in our project.