The new management of Millicent community radio station 5THE-FM has more than halved the $100,000 debt incurred under the previous regime.
Chairman David Walshaw and his six fellow management committee members have been in office for only a few months but they have reduced the outstanding amount to $40,000 after successful negotiations with creditors.
Mr Walshaw is hopeful of a similar outcome with the remaining creditors and these debts may also be forgiven.
He gave an upbeat address to a 50-strong gathering when 5THE-FM held a special general meeting at St Alphonsus Hall in Millicent on Thursday night.
Among those present were Wattle Range Mayor Des Noll and chief executive Ben Gower along with station founder Johanna Kegel, now of Adelaide.
It was held at the request of the Office of Business and Consumer Services and two departmental officers were present.
The purpose of the meeting was to elect a management committee in keeping with legislation.
Mr Walshaw and Michael Schultz, Megan Brennan, Ian Harrison, Paul McRobert, Chris Copeland and Ken Lane had been elected on an interim basis four months ago and were subsequently confirmed unopposed on Thursday night.
The remainder of the 25-minute public forum was mostly occupied by Mr Walshaw’s summary of events since taking control at the annual general meeting in November.
“We have secured the future of the station and we are the pulse of the community,” Mr Walshaw said.
“We have 200 listeners on our live-stream, seven announcers and 11 waiting to be trained.
“We are being supported by 5GTR-FM in Mount Gambier with technical expertise.
“The Office of Business and Consumer Services will ratify the election of this management committee and we will then apply to the Australian Communications and Media Authority for a temporary broadcasting licence.
“The tenders for a permanent licence come out in December and there are no guarantees we will get one.
“The community radio station at Woomera has been operating on a temporary licence for the past 10 years.”
Radio 5THE-FM has been based for over 30 years in the former Millicent railway station and this building and surrounding land was recently sold by the State Government to local interests.
Mr Walshaw said he and some of the committee had met with their new landlord.
“We have a lease in place until 2031,” he said.
“There are some exciting possibilities for that area and it will become a vibrant precinct.
“Matters are still commercial-in-confidence and subject to council approval.”
While the lease payment is only $1 per annum for the next eight years, Mr Walshaw said 5THE-FM faced other financial challenges.
“We need to have a steady stream of revenue coming in and we have to sign up sponsors,” he said.
“We received $3000 from the Millicent Lions Club last year to meet the utility bills while an individual has recently donated $1000.
“Other than the utility bills which keep on coming in, we have no new debt.
“We hope to retrieve assets of the station.
“More volunteers are needed and we are registered with Centrelink for the purposes of JobSeeker obligations.”
Mayor Noll extended his congratulations to Mr Walshaw and said the community would back his management committee.
