About Us

The Tillicum Foundation Purpose
To be the primary noncommercial radio service for the communities of the Greater Lower Columbia-Pacific region.

The Tillicum Foundation Mission

Identify and respond to community needs by providing a wide range of high-quality radio programs and
services.
Use our resources to enable life-long learning in the entire community byproviding entertaining, educational
and informational programs and services.
Be a regional creative resource center by involving community members in all aspects of radio production
and broadcast.
Foster an environment within which employees and volunteers achieve job satisfaction and opportunities
for personal and professional growth.

The Tillicum Foundation owns and operates KMUN 91.9fm (Astoria), KTCB 89.5fm (Tillamook) and KCPB 90.9fm
(Warrenton), known collectively as Coast Community Radio. We are the only non-commercial, local public radio
stations serving the coastal areas of southwest Washington and northwest Oregon. The Foundation's seven-
member Board of Directors is non-paid and elected for two-year terms at the annual November membership
meeting.

The Tillicum Foundation is committed to using radio as an active resource for community development and public
access. We seek to involve and establish cooperative efforts among community groups including seniors, women,
young people, and ethnic and cultural minorities.

KMUN first signed on the air on April 17, 1983, from a small studio on the second floor of the Gunderson Building,
on Commercial Street in the heart of downtown Astoria. The ground floor was occupied by Mode-O-Day fashions
and the Beauty College.

A few years later, KMUN was given its very own home by its fairy godmother, Helen Patti. After much hard work
and construction, the former Trullinger House (which had a history of a bordello, an apartment house and a dental
office) was turned into broadcasting studios and offices. KMUN began operating from the newly named Tillicum
House (Tillicum means "community" in Chinook), just above the edge of downtown Astoria, in 1987. It is a lovely
Queen Anne Victorian with views of Astoria and the river from the air room and lobby.

KMUN broadcasts 7,500 watts of power at 91.9 MHz from its main transmitter on Megler Mountain (atop the
Washington hills across from Astoria and above Dismal Nitch), 10 watts at 89.5 MHz from translators located in
Cannon Beach and Wheeler, and 10 watts at 91.1 MHz from a translator serving South Astoria.

KTCB came on the air in 2005 and broadcasts 400 watts of power at 89.5 MHz from Cape Mears, serving Tillamook
County. Plans are currently underway to provide local news content for the community.

For many years the Foundation was asked by a large segment of the community to provide more national news
and classical music programming. Finally, in 2003, the Federal Communications Commission allowed broadcasters
to apply for a small number of permits for the construction of new transmitting facilities. Financial support from the
community and a small business loan brought KCPB to air on KMUN's 23rd birthday, April 17, 2006.

On January 17, 2007, the Foundation granted full license for the operation of KCPB. The way is now clear for us to
start the next round of actions that will upgrade its signal and greatly expand its coverage area.

Contact | Staff | Board of Director s | We Go Here

Coast Community Radio

Making waves since 1983

KMUN 91.9fm
KTCB 89.5fm
KCPB 90.9fm