Friday 10 September 2010

A bizarre and angry rant sent to community radio members

A bizarre an hastily-typed letter - all in capitals, has been sent out to members of the shamed and dysfunctional 4CCR 89.1 FM Cairns community radio by an angry president Rod Coutts.


The letter is an attempt to quell a growing dissent within the membership and make sure followers obey their master unconditionally at Monday's AGM. Coutts is trying to change the radio station's constitution that will further block new members, pays volunteer committee extraordinary amounts of money, and will refuse any appeal to the general membership.


It's in response to open letters sent on 29th August, 1st September and 6th September, to the station membership from the reform group, Friends of 4CCR.
  • From: Info@cairnsfm891.org.au
    Sent: Tuesday, 7 September 2010 2:47 PM
    Subject: ATTENTION VALUED MEMBERS - CAIRNS COMMUNITY BROADCASTERS INC.
    My apologies.

  • Please see Item 5. It should state ‘ACMA’S LETTER TO US, AS STATED BY MR. PARISI, CLEARLY STATES THEIR POSITION WITH US AS AN ORGANISATION AND THEY DO NOT INTEND TO TAKE THEIR FINDINGS ANY FURTHER…’ instead of ‘ATTEND’.

    In the spirit of community radio

    Rodney Coutts
    President

    PO Box 891,
    MANUNDA QLD 4870
    Phone:07 40 536 891 Fax: 07 40 532 085 Mobile: 0404 517 007
    Email:info@cairnsfm891.org Website: www.cairnsfm891.org

TO OUR VALUED MEMBERS OF CAIRNS FM89.1

WE FROM THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE APOLOGISE FOR THE E-MAILS YOU MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE RECEIVED FROM A MR. ROSS PARISI AND A MR. BRIAN LAW (BOTH MEMBERS OF THE FRIENDS OF 4CCR). AS A MATTER OF INTEREST MR. ROSS PARISI’S TERMINATION OF HIS MEMBERSHIP WAS CONDUCTED LEGITIMATELY BY YOUR MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE AND APPROVED BY OUR SOLICITOR MR. TOM STEVENS. MR. BRIAN LAW, I BELIEVE, IS A KNOWN ACTIVIST IN CAIRNS (WELL MENTIONED IN THE MEDIA), AND THE POLICE HAVE PERSONALLY ADVISED ME THAT WHENEVER HE ATTENDS OUR OFFICE, AS HE HAS ALREADY DONE ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS, THAT I SHOULD ADVISE THEM IMMEDIATELY OF HIS VISIT. I MAKE THE FOLLOWING FURTHER COMMENTS:

1. THE USE OF YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS IS BEING ILLEGALLY USED. UNFORTUNATELY WE ARE UNABLE TO STOP THIS FROM HAPPENING. ONLY YOU CAN TAKE THE STEP TO REPLY AND DEMAND THAT YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS BE REMOVED FROM THEIR LIST.

2. THE PROPOSED CHANGES TO OUR CONSTITUTION THAT IS ON THE AGENDA FOR OUR AGM MONDAY 13 SEPTEMBER WAS FORMULATED BY OUR SOLICITOR MR. TOM STEVENS OF O’REILLY STEVENS BOVEY. IN JUNE THIS WAS FORWARDED TO ACMA WHO IN TURN ENDORSED THE CHANGES.

3. MR. PARISI HAS SUGGESTED IN HIS LATEST E-MAIL DATED MONDAY 6TH SEPTEMBER THAT “I HAVE HEARD THAT MR. COUTTS MAY POSTPONE YET AGAIN THE AGM”. THE AGM WILL GO AHEAD ON MONDAY 13 SEPTEMBER.

4. MR. PARISI ALSO ASSERTS IN HIS E-MAIL THAT HE IS NOT ALLOWED TO ATTEND THE AGM. THAT IS CORRECT AS HE IS CURRENTLY NOT A MEMBER OF OUR COMMUNITY RADIO STATION. THIS IS A MEMBERS ONLY MEETING AND AS AN ORGANISATION WE ARE ENTITLED TO HOLD AN AGM FOR MEMBERS ONLY. THIS IS NOT AGAINST THE LAW AND I WOULD LIKE MR. PARISI TO MAKE REFERENCE TO WHAT LAW HE REFERS TO.

5. ACMA’S LETTER TO US, AS STATED BY MR. PARISI, CLEARLY STATES THEIR POSITION WITH US AS AN ORGANISATION AND THEY DO NOT INTEND TO TAKE THEIR FINDINGS ANY FURTHER, AS THE AGREED MEASURES WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING WITH SATISFY THEIR REQUIREMENTS. OUR RADIO LICENSE, THEREFORE, IS NOT IN JEAPORDY AS MR. PARISI SUGGESTS, AND I FULLY UNDERSTAND THE VALUE OF THAT LICENSE IN MY VOLUNTEER STATUS (NOT PAID POSITION) AS PRESIDENT OF OUR COMMUNITY RADIO STATION.


ON A FURTHER NOTE, THESE E-MAILS ARE BEING SENT TO YOU IN THE HOPE THAT INSTABILITY MAY BE CREATED WITHIN THE MEMBERS OF OUR ORGANISATION. THESE REPEATED ATTACKS AGAINST THE GOOD NAME OF YOUR COMMUNITY RADIO STATION HAVE OCCURRED BEFORE AND THE COMMITTEE AND I HAVE STOOD STEADFAST. WITH YOUR VALUED AND CONTINUED SUPPORT WE INTEND TO STAY STRONG IN THE FACE OF ANY ADVERSITY

KIND REGARDS,

ROD COUTTS


5 comments:

another exmember said...

Has anyone listened to this "high Quality" radio lately? It is probably the most unlistenable in the history of community radio in Australia -I have listened to many other such stations throughout Australia and these provide local content and news -where are the local musicians and Australian sounding presenters? This station has become almost totally ethnic -someone should point out that SBS does a great job in that area.-why is the greater Cairns community ignored?

Spangled Lady said...

Speaking of 4ccr -has anyone else received a letter from the infamous Mr Coutts? Among his statements he describes himself as an "unpaid volunteer president" what he omits to say is that he is a PAID self appointed station manager -very clever Mr C. Your solicitor Mr Stevens must be relishing the income generated by your countless calls to him about really trivial matters that could easily be sorted by your so-called Management Committee. You used Mr Stevens name in your letter as a badge of pride -not as it really is -an admission that you are totally out of your depth. You can fool some of the people etc etc

:Kevin-John: Morgan. said...

Dear Mr Coutts, are you quite sure that the Cairns Police said those words concerning Bryan Law?
I am here to tell you, that if it is NOT true, we will have no alternative but to prosecute you for Fraud.
Do not, under any circumstances, rely on your so-called legal team, because none of them can be trusted.
I agree with Spangled Lady, using your lawyer as a badge for your protection will only exacerbate the problem, and also proves you cannot be trusted.

:Kevin-John: Morgan. said...

By the way Mr Coutts, I think you should also know two things.
1. By publishing your letter in ALL upper case, it means to Rant or Shout, and if you ever do it in a Law Court, you would be held in contempt or quarantined.

2. If someone else knows this, and then uses this information to go after you, and prosecute you, I will not be held responsible.
If you wish to be noticed by Shouting, at least protect your level of intelligence by using the correct sentence structure Syntax.

Ban de Coutts said...

This takeover of a community radio station by an individual and virtually making it their own private business must be unprecedented in Australian community broadcasting history. I can't understand how a government authority like ACMA can sit on its hands and do nothing about it.
I stopped listening a long time ago and now regularly listen to online radio from other community stations including 4TTT in Townsville. Maybe these stations should look up here for sponsorship seeing we no longer have our own community radio.