AState Government authority is moving to close down Millicent community radio station 5THE-FM within a month and put it permanently off-the-air.
According to Consumer and Business Services, the previous management of 5THE-FM had not met a number of legislated administrative requirements such as staging annual general meetings and providing financial statements and was therefore “defunct”.
Notice of the decision was made on Friday and coincidentally the same day the Australian Communications and Media Authority published its findings that 5THE-FM had breached two conditions of its broadcasting licence.
New 5THE-FM management committee chairman David Walshaw has been in the role for less than a week after the previous management committee was evicted at a special general meeting of 5THE-FM on Thursday.
Mr Walshaw said the CBS letter had only come to light on Tuesday when the backlog of unopened radio station mail was opened.
Mr Walshaw said he and his six fellow new management committee members would be looking to work closely with the CBS to avoid the station being wound up.
“There are a number of administrative matters which have to be urgently addressed by us for 5THE-FM to remain an incorporated association and stay on-the-air,” he said.
“Losing our incorporated association status would directly lead to the cancellation of our broadcasting licence and the loss of our station premises which have a peppercorn lease with the State Government.
“Members of 5THE-FM have been given a month by the CBS to show cause why the community radio station should not be wound up.”
According to Mr Walshaw, the correspondence from the CBS had shown the State Government authority had been in regular contact with the previous 5THE-FM management for several months regarding their legislated obligations.
“It is obvious the CBS was not satisfied with the answers being received from the previous 5THE-FM management,” he said.
“This stance from the CBS again vindicates the decision to seek change at 5THE-FM by staging a special general meeting and voting in a new management committee.
“We will certainly be advising the CBS that we have a new skills-based management committee, the support of up to 60 other volunteers and the backing of the 5GTR-FM community radio station in Mount Gambier.”
Meanwhile, in another hurdle for 5THE-FM, it has just become aware of a power company final notice advising that electricity will be disconnected from the Railway Terrace premises owing to non-payment of an account totalling more than $500.
Mr Walshaw said arrangements were immediately put in hand to meet these expenses.
