Monday 31 May 2010

Cairns community radio has gone to the dogs

Looks like the committee that runs the besieged Cairns Community Radio, that is subject to a number of ACMA investigations for breaches of licence and blocking community participation, is now being run by a dog named Jack (see graphic below).

Have a look at their committee and, if you dare, tune in to 89.1FM to see what you're missing. It's ruff, ruff. This is no ordinary dog. Jack is almost a presidential canine, as he belongs to none other than the station's treasurer, Maria Cristina Mimil Alvero Exconde. Phew.

According to the website... "Jack is mostly bored at the station though he does get the first opportunity to sniff the station guests and then spends the rest of his time in the studio lazing around in places that would ultimately be in the way of our presenters and board members," reads the online profile.  "A music program is currently under development that Jack could help present."

According to the station's constitution, there are nine positions on the committee, but all approaches from former Mulgrave Councillor, Ross Parisi, who heads up the Friends of 4CCR group, have been ignored. Jack seems to be the ninth member.
There's a lot been going on in the last two months, since I last wrote about the abhorrent goings on after CairnsBlog reported 16 membership applications were rejected earlier this year. They have failed to admit any new members since.

No financial records or monthly accounts have been presented to the membership or the Cairns community since October last year. Against the wishes of the AGM last September, CairnsBlog has learnt that president Rodney Coutts has been secretly paying himself, his girlfriend and treasurer, Mimil Alvero, and Marcus Smith, who all serve on the voluntary committee.

Pieter Blaauw, who is subject to a police assault investigation against Councillor Diane Forsyth, still remains as vice president.

The committee also consists of John Fielder, Gary Montagner, Marcus Smith, Diane Jensen, and Julian Serong, who were all co-opted by Rod Coutts, without any election process. Jensen, who is the nominated secretary, is not allowed to answer any correspondence, as all communications are handled by Coutts.

If you want to see our community money at work, pop along to Raintrees Shopping Centre around lunchtime, where the station's bank book is flouted for all and sundry at Healthy Bites, or the cafe opposite the newsagency.

Jack the Dog, who looks after programming, has had a number of complaints about living at the station, to Raintrees Centre management.

A further report of the inept management of Cairns community radio, including their Mt Yarrabah transmission facility, will be published on CairnsBlog shortly.

  • The Full investigation by CairnsBlog can be found in the right-hand sidebar.

8 comments:

A regular (online) community radio listener said...

The finest community Radio Broadcast in 'Northern Australia'? At least they have narrowed the field to exclude 80% of Australia's population. Perhaps we should force the people of Townsville, Alice Springs Darwin, Katherine, Mt Newman, Broome, Canarvon and the other locations with community radio in Northern Australia to listen to their idea of 'fine community radio broadcasting'.

How the hell can these morons still keep a community broadcasting license when they don't even allow community participation?

Lil at Yorkeys said...

I dare say Jack the Dog will being doing a brilliant job. Couldn't be worse than the non-party at the moment. Perhaps he can do the 'Howls I Remember' programme. Go, Jack.

yk said...

I know a lot has been said about the outside influences at Cairns Community Radio but I still think that the programme presented by Ben Markus on Monmday mornings was the best 2 hours of radio over all stations in any week in Cairns.

Cult Watcher 2009 said...

Let me tell you, that dodgy Ben Markus hasn't been on that crap Cairns 89.1 fm community station for over a year........ he was run out of town when the entire Arona mob who were running the station and doing anything they liked with the money.... same as the mad Coutts president is doing RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!

ANyway.. Marrkus been at at teh raintrees station because he simply could't get up the stairs (you work out why!!!) Arona evidently have their own studio and equipment, probably courtesy of the government funding for Cairns community radio - and he did his "show" from Arona's Kuranda hideaway for around the last 4 years....or more.....

Jamie Harvson, Cairns said...

I enjoyed the Ben Markus program being old and in poor healrh it was still good to hear him and other people.
the current programs with all that horrid country music and those awful presenters need to go!
No mater what anyone says Cairns FM 4CCR is a total mess with the look alike Captain Mainwaring and the Dads Army followers in control.
Arona might have been bad, but anything is better than Rod Coutts

YK said...

My comments were not designed to debate the rights or wrongs of Arona's involvement in Cairns Community Radio but simply to say that the programme that Markus presentled was excellent. The comments by 'Cult Watcher' are definitely out of order. Markus is an old man and who cares where he actually produced his programme.

KFC said...

No, Markus and his crazy crew knew exactly what they was doing with 4CCR. He and his mates tried to dominate several times over the years before their final success and dare I say a few sympathisers are still there today.

Indeed, the same problem still exists with another self interested group bunkered in to a community owned media organisation with no interest in public accountability.

Tony Hillier said...

As someone who, in company with KFC, Denis Walls and other local community radio devotees, expended far too much time and energy in the '80s and '90s helping to establish 4CCR-FM as a station of genuine merit and excellence, it pains me to see the pathetic parody that currently exists. The station may well have deteriorated beyond salvation. Certainly nothing short of a radical overhaul of programming and presenters will make it worth listening to again.