Lion to go it alone?
Samuel Norich the publisher of the Jewish Forward magazine said in part recently about the success of the magazine
“…our unique role and value as the only truly independent Jewish newspaper in the United States, unaffiliated with any branch of Judaism, unbeholden to any religious or communal authority, and free from bias or conflicts of interest…appealing to Jews and to a broader community.”
Over 50 people attended a public meeting at Beth Weizman in Melbourne tonight. An initiative by the JCCV, in an effort to bring together all those that wanted to voice their opinion on the future of Jewish radio broadcasting in Melbourne. I was hoping the above quote would be the theme behind most people’s attendance.
Chaired by John Searle, President of the JCCV, his opening remarks paid tribute to the Lion Fm volunteers and to the owner of the station Menachem Khoen for the hard work and passion that they had done in bringing a Jewish radio station to reality. The theme of the night was not meant to be about past errors or conspiracies but about how as a community it could move forward in reviving a lost opportunity. It was about stopping the vitriol being written in various media ,websites and even on Lions own Facebook page.
Attending the meeting amongst others were representatives of the various groups that have formed over the last few months as alternatives to MJR in retaining the community broadcasting licence. Many from Lion FM were also there as well as various interested individuals including the editor Zeddy Lawrence of the AJN
The tone of the evening was for the most part hopeful, in that many expressed a desire for unity and cohesion in approaching the next steps whatever they may be. It at times did become heated during references about attempts to have the station closed by individuals who were present at the meeting.
Menachem Khohen was given an opportunity to present his case. In a prepared speech, judging by the number of pages he had in his hand, he made it clear it was not just about all being friends and having a group hug. As part of his speech, he advised that membership to Lion was open to everybody and that it would continue to seek ways in which to Broadcast. In essence join us or miss out.
It seemed that he had much more to say but others in audience bemoaned the fact that he had already spoken for an extraordinary amount of time and was addressing issues that should remain in the past. Asked by John Searle to end his speech quickly and allow others time to speak he attempted to continue. He resisted after two requests to sit down and unfortunately tempers frayed as he was forced to take his seat. It was not a great moment.
Most at the meeting were taken aback by the ferocity of the request. However the meeting did continue albeit now with some underlying tension and sporadic interjections.
By the final stages of the night , the suggestion was made that the individuals who represented other groups should perhaps enter into a dialogue with MJR in an attempt to perhaps resolve whatever differences they had and create a unified group that could move forward for securing another frequency and permanent licence.
It seems however that as it stands that although MJR is happy to accommodate a broader membership any discussion of involvement in the management and ideology of the station is not on the table. This still may change, but in the short term at least the lion is not prepared to lie down with the yearling so the signs of redemption are still far away.
Lion FM continues to broadcast on the internet and is hopeful that radio transmission will return pending negotiations. Specifics as to how were not mentioned.
I was there. Funny how you forget to mention that
John Searletotally lost his cool & screamed at andmanhandledMenachem Khoen and almost came to the point of violence until he was stopped. All this after he preached about unity! It was obviously transparent that the purpose of the meeting was not for unity at all, but rather for the newly formed Jewish Community Broadcasting Group to try to usurp the present board of Lion & take over with the backing & collusion off John Searle, John Kraus (although not present was mentioned as one of the groups leaders) Bram Presser, Malki Rose, Eva Migdal et al, the same group that has been trying to destroy the station for over a year. Their agenda is twofold: control of the community media and their intense dislike and intolerance of the right of centre bent of the Lion board. A revealing moment is after lawyer Aron Zeitman called for unity Yossi Ashklenazi exposed him as the one who wrote a letter to ACMA asking them to shut the station down.I didn’t forget to mention anything Shoshana, however one should know how to report without being inflammatory. There is also no point in naming people when it only serves the purpose to incite further hatred and viciousness. many people are passionate about many issues. But your style as it always has been on every post you make is to attack the person and not the issue. You then expect others to treat you with respect that you yourself are unwilling to give. Further you never let an argument go buy without having the last word. It was the reason you were banned from another website.
You have every right in stating your opinion, however when it includes personal attacks and vitriol it serves no other purpose except to be the loudest and most obscene person on the blog. People eventually stop because they tire of the abuse. At that point you feel you may have won , however all you have done is alienate and provoke others . We are not judging murders or rapists and even they have a right to be treated fairly. That fact that you are outwardly religious is a CHillul Hashem that others will judge Jews both religious and non religions as ego centric, loud mouthed and with little respect for the feelings and opinions of others.
Git Shabbes
Being banned from Galus Australis is a badge of honour for me.
The real Chillul Hashem is the disgusting behaviour of John Searle, the muckracking by Zeddy Lawrence, the mesira by (names have been removed by the editor as irrelevant) et al. Name them all and let the people know.
How can you cover up, sugar coat, or otherwise downplay the despicable display of hatred on the part of John Searle at that meeting? The entire meeting was set up as an ambush, as part of their agenda to take over the radio, no matter how much John Searle denies this, it is true. And the libel and defamation that he along with the help ad collusion of Zeddy Lawrence, John Kraus, Sam Tatarka, Aron Zeitman and the technical guy (forgot his name) who claims to know how to get the licese but he was the one who made certain no technician would help us fix the aerial, And speaking of alienating people and being unable to respect others’ opinions, wasn’t that you I saw calling a religious woman a curse word outside the Beis Weizman after the meeting? What hypocrisy! Bet you won’t have the guts to keep this comment o your blog.
Shoshana, The preference is that posters use their real names not pseudonyms. To date I have not enforced this however if the comments posted allude to others by name then I will insist on it. It is not guts that leaves your comments here,it simply proves my earlier assertions.
More importantly I insist that you retract the your comment regarding ” calling a religious woman a curse word outside the Beis Weizman after the meeting ”
I do not remember the ladies name in question. However she was having that discussion with the person who actually made the comment and I was there listening. Perhaps she was confused about whom she was talking to , however more importantly you were not there, at least in viewing distance, so your information is 2nd hand. You failed to mention that in your comment.
In future if you accuse me of saying anything get your facts right.
Eli Ajzeman is the author of this blog and he crossed out those words on my post, not I
I am sure you do not have to inform people who the author of this blog is. My name is all over the place!
For over a year an antagonistic group now calling themselves Jewish Community Broadcasting have done everything in their power to topple the present leadership of Lion FM. This has included libel and defamation, sabotage, mesira, and all the while they scream as loud as they can that all they want is transparency and inclusiveness. What duplicity! They use the muckracking Jewish News and leftist radical intolerant hate filled one eyed blogs like Galus Australis to stir up division and to spread lies about Lion. These lies include that Lion is discriminating, insolvent, incompetent etc. At the meeting John Searle showed his bias by not allocating equal time to the present Lion leadership. It was totally exposed that in stark contrast to his claims, John Searle and the JCCV along with the JCB have an very clear strong agenda to destroy the preset Lion organisation and to replace it. The tactics they have used include obnoxious insults to anyone who dares to challenge or expose them, even to the point of loud cursing and physical altercation. I saw all this myself. Meanwhile, none of them have spent any time, energy or resources working at Lion, none of them have lifted a finger to contribute anything positive to the station. They will not succeed. Lion will be o the air again and they will continue their hate filled destructive campaign of lies, disinformation, ad attempts at dictatorial control.
This is the speech that John Searle did not allow Menachem Khoen to make:
I am very happy to see so many people here tonight. I am a big believer in unity but unfortunately unity was unable to be established. I really would like to believe that all the people that came here tonight want unity, want to stop the fighting and want to stop the delegitimization of lion fm and of myself in particular.
Those groups fighting us must understand that there is no benefit to the community by them fighting us. So to make it simple, if you want to have unity we ask you to leave us alone, to stop delegitimizing Lion FM and to stop putting obstacles in our way. We do not require your support all what we want is that you stop fighting us.
We have many supporters outside and have received a lot of phone calls, emails, even people on the street and in the synagogues that give us the feeling that the majority of the community is supporting us even though they are not as loud as those few who fight against us.
We have done a lot of good things in the short time. We really appreciate those people who support us. We believe that within a month we can come with a positive announcement of a date of commencing broadcasting. I am sure that if you stop delegitimizing the station on the blogs and in the Jewish news, you stop the lies you spread about us that will show you really want unity. So if that is the purpose of the meeting tonight I welcome the meeting.
In relation to ACMA decision, it was very clear from the beginning when we started to broadcast that we had a problem with frequency. Our frequency interferes with another station 96.3 FM. The problem is the aerial that we put in was not the right aerial for the job. After investigation, we found that the solution is to modify the aerial and to put a shield up to reduce the broadcasting to the Geelong area.
When we realized the problem, we tried to fix it as soon as we could but unfortunately the company supposed to fix the aerial did not fulfill their responsibility. They delayed us for many different reasons and coincidently, last week, they told us they just have got all the permits that are required to fix the aerial.
In the normal course of business I would think it just did not work out but after I received more information I can speculate that someone in the group that fought against us may have something to do with it. I have been informed by one engineer/technician that he was threatened if he worked with us he would never get a job in radio industry in Melbourne. You can understand from this statement whatever you want to understand.
In the beginning we had a dream about a station that will promote Israel, Judaism and the memory of the Holocaust. We believed that it would unite the community however probably we were wrong. I cannot understand why Judaism and Israel divide the community. Maybe it was for a different reason which will explain why so many lies were spread about us.
The current situation reminds me of an episode in Book of Kings 1 in chapter 21.
The episode takes place during the Kingship of Ahab, King of Israel. Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard next to the palace of King Ahab. Ahab requested from Naboth to give over his vineyard to him so he could have use the vineyard as a vegetable garden adjacent to his palace. Naboth responded saying that G-d forbade him from giving the inheritance of his forefathers to Ahab. Ahab was very upset, did not eat and consulted with his wife Queen Jezebel. Jezebel said to Ahab that he should be merry as he is the King of Israel and has power to do whatever he desires. Jezebel informed Ahab that she had a plan to get the vineyard from Naboth. Jezebel wrote a letter in Ahab’s name and sealed it with his seal and she sent the letters to the elders and the officials who were in his city, who sat with Naboth. She wrote in the letter to proclaim a fast, place Naboth in the forefront of the people and set up two wicked people to testify falsely against him saying that Naboth cursed G-d and the King. Afterwards they should remove him and kill him. The elders of the city fulfilled Jezebel’s wishes by having two wicked people falsely testify against him and they took Naboth and killed him. When the news came that Naboth had been killed Jezebel told Ahab to take possession of the vineyard. Consequently Ahab went and took possession of it.
G-d spoke to the prophet Elijah saying ‘Go to Ahab and say to him ‘So said the Lord,
‘Have you murdered and also inherited?…. In the place that dogs have licked the blood of Naboth, shall the dogs lick your blood. Elijah then went on to prophesy the destruction of the kingship of Ahab for the abomination that he committed.
This episode is very relevant to what has happened with Lion Fm.
I really believe the delegitimising of the Board and myself is just a big spin without any justification. So, all what I ask you and the Jewish News tonight: please do not continue with your deligitimisation, do not continue with the lies, and we hope in the very near future to make a positive announcement of the date that the Lion FM will commence broadcasting.
I would finally like to thank the Executive for their commitment and support throughout these challenging times.
Thank you
B’H
I think some rather unfair accusations have been levelled at Shoshanna with regard to Galus Australis and wading in and attacking her, so that the editor is doing to her exactly what he accuses her of doing.
Now I also have been moderated at Galus and to be honest it is a website that I would not pay too much attention to being banned from for evermore as the moderators are extremely one eyed and insular in their outlook.
They also discriminate against posters whose views run contrary to theirs. I know from personal experience and they allow a person – I won’t say who, but I will give initials MB – to use four letter words, attack other posters in a most vitriolic and defamatory manner and this person even goes so far as to write slander about people who disagree with him on issues and to post it on his blog and gets his troll mates to write incorrect and vicious comments supporting his libelous, pathetic comments. That person appears to be one of their most prolific posters. If that is the sort of person who is welcomed with open arms than I would be most hesitant to be included as a follower of that site. It is very low class and narrow in its outlook. There are moments of interests and even brilliance, but they are few and far between. One has to search for them like trying to find diamonds in the crusty acres of dried effluent that flows for ever on that site, I am afraid. I hope no one judges the Jewish community by some of the things written there.
I think if you are going to make lasting change you have to put the sword down and stop slashing and start dialoguing properly and with achavat israel and compassion. There is no point in starting a war and it is self defeating if you are about achdut and building a strong community organisation.
Wow! I’ve never listened to LION FM, but having read all this, I believe that the owner who set it up, has every right to set the agenda for his own station.
He should still be open to feedback from his listeners, but you can’t run ANY organisation with “too many chiefs and not enough Indians”. It’s simply unworkable.
I’ve read the previous blogs, but I question the whole censorship issue.
Every story has 2 sides and 2 perspectives from the extreme ends, and usually, the truth sits somewhere in the middle.
I think, everyone needs to remove themselves from the heat of this argument, have a cup of tea and a good lie down, and re-visit this when their brains have cooled down.
B’H
Brauch hashem someone with some commonsense. Go Louisa. I’m all for a cuppa or meeting for a coffee in the back room of Amalya’s for Herbal coffee or tea and discussing issues passionately but sanely and without the malice displayed by some. Thanks you have restored my faith.
If the shoe were on the other foot, for instance, if Menachem Khoen had screamed at and manhandled John Searle in order to shut him up, the Galus Australis and the Jewish News would have a field day reporting it.
All I ever addressed were the issues. There are so many unanswered questions. Here are just a very few:
1. why does Zeddy Lawrece and the Jewish News get away with printing blatant lies like LionFM is solvent, when that was never true? Why no retraction?
2. Why does the Jewish News go to John Searle for quotes as a spokesman for the radio when he has never worked for the radio in any capacity?
3.What is the relationship between John Searle, the JCCV ad the JCB? J Wire reports that the JCB is looking to become part of the JCCV. Doesn’t that totally contradict Joh Searel’s loud proclamation at the meeting that he has no vested interested in taking over Lion? Is’t he hiding a very real agenda ad what is that agenda?
4. Why didn’t John Searle have the decency and courtesy to apologise to Meachem Khoen for mistreating him ad manhadling him at the meeting?
Shoshana, perhaps you should re-read your posts before submitting them.
The name of the AJN editor is Zeddy Lawrence
Also I am sure your meant insolvent not solvent
I am not sure that AJN ever quoted John Searle as a “spokesperson” for LION
I will agree that John should have apologised at least in the meeting. However he may have done so after the meeting privately. We should at least give him the benefit of the doubt.
Lastly I will edit your posts from here on in if you make mention of peoples names out of context to the issues. Stick to the issues and not the personalties and I will have no problems.
Answers to
question 1.-Lion FM should have followed up better with the AJN
question 3. Any organisation can apply for membership of the JCCV. JCCV ad JCB are not equipped or able to run a radio station.
question 4. The reason John Searle won’t apologise is because he is a autocrat
I apologise
Eli if my accusation of cursing out that woman was wrong, you are correct, I was at a distance and if you say it wasn’t you the it wasn’t. Please forgive me.
Accepted. Please use your real name in future.. I don’t have the time to keep changing it
I am having problems with my keyboard, letters are sticking sorry
I have spoken to Menachem Khoen and ASAIK John Searle has not apologised to him at all for treating Mr. Khoen with such disrespect.
Some of my observations after working at Lion as a volunteer:
Running a radio station is an enormous undertaking, 24/6, every month all year round.
Very few people have the dedication to commit to it and the Lion leaders have expended a tremendous amount of their own time, energy and resources.
Volunteers can only be asked to do something, so sometimes things do not get done, and things do not always run smoothly, especially with a complex entity like a radio station, it can get pretty hefker (chaotic). Most volunteers are mature ad sensible enough to understand this, but some of the volunteers, when things do not go their way, take it personally, and throw tantrums, and condemn the management. They spread unfair rumours and antagonism.
I saw a good number of people come all excited ad fired up with big plans to make shows only these shows never got made. Why? Sometimes the management did not feel the shows were up to their standards, and that is their right. But more often, when these people realised that making a regular radio show required a huge amount of hard work, ad commitment they suddenly found they had other important things to do with their time. Fair enough if they choose to walk away, but no one was ever thrown out, as has been said as a big lie often by the opposition.
I found the management to be extremely courteous, considerate, and competent. They worked hard to include everyone. They made sure the presenters and technicians were trained by professionals for free. We all got certificates and had a great time at the presenter classes.
As far as I could see, while there is always disagreements, especially among our people (gotta love our fellow Jews!) there was no fighting in Lion. All the fighting came from the outsiders who have caused all the trouble and division.
You say you will not allow me to make any personal attacks on anyone yet, you maligned me personally. Unless you take the personal insults you wrote about me in your comments off of your blog then you are a stark hypocrite and have zero credibility.
Setting aside this torturous banter of opposing technical points, I think that the provision of a radio station for Jews is a gift, and the dedication of volunteers to keep it on air is a huge gift to both the station management as well as the community.
It is there to provide current information in all its forms including musical entertainment. if you’ve volunteered as a presenter, then your own political agenda should be left outside, when you walk in the door.
The wide audience of the media objects to political bias in every newspaper, magazine, radio and tv show. So LION FM wouldn’t be the exception. It’s NOT up to the presenters to set the agenda. Their role is to represent the station where they volunteer.
If they don’t have the strength of character to follow the guidelines, they should walk away, as many have done before on other radio stations.
It’s time for a reality check and some growing up. If you want radio talkback that’s palatable to your own tastes, set up a radio station with your own agenda, by starting a corporation based on donations from people sympathetic to your cause. In other words, put your money where your mouth is, or forever hold your peace, and be done with it.
This fighting till you wear everyone down, is childish and boring, and intolerable.
Louisa, you simply do not understand journalism or media. Every media outlet in the world has a bias and, it is the right of the management of that media outlet to choose that bias. The Australian is right of centre politically while The Age is to the left. The Australia Jewish New is on the left while Hamodia is on the right. The management of Lion is right of centre politically. That does not mean they will not allow diversity of opinion but, at the end of the day it is in their full right to decide who goes on air ad how far certain speech can go. For instance, they will not allow Israel bashing or Holocaust denial. One of the reasons I stand with the management of Lion is because it stands proudly with Israel. If people want left views that bash Israel they have hundreds of media outets to choose from. Lion will not be, and must not become just another BBC or CN drummig the beat of the pro-Arab narrative.
And I might add, in my opinion, that if the JBC and JCCV would take it over, it will in no time become just another Israel bashing station pushing the pro-Arab narrative.
And if anyone believes the JBC or JCCV et al will be open, transparent and unbiased I would like to sell you a bridge.Already some of those fighting Lion claim Lion is another Arutz Sheva. I other words, the underlying reason they want to take over is that they object to its pro-Israel bias. They want to use it to push their own left wing bias instead.
B’H
I do agree totally with Shoshanna. There are so many media outlets who are presently vitriolic and unashamedly anti semitic, and no one pulls them up. It is great to have station that is supportive at the other side of things without going into extremism to the right of the political spectrum. Why does LION have to be Anti Israel, doubt the Shoah and other things in order to be valid. It is almost as if the left-wing Jews are on a suicide mission to self destruction and this is what I along with others abhor. The truth stands and we can no longer tolerate Jewish self destruction in order to satisfy or appease anti semites even if they are our fellow Jews.
At the risk of speaking the obvious, anyone who truly seeks the truth will make the effort to examine the proof of which there is an abundance.
This has been going on for way too long and whilst we are all supposed to be working towards achdus and community service, much to the contrary has occurred.
There are some who are known to perpetuate acrimony and by default, for whom truth has little importance. This is unlikely to be a conscious decision on their part but requires others of sound faculties to either respond with compassion and understand this behaviour to be beyond their control or better still, give such perpetrators a wide berth.
Is there any point at all in continued dialogue with those whose own comments so condemn them.
Things only offend us when they contain truth. If I have brown hair and someone comments that they dislike my blue hair, well that comment will be water off a duck’s back. In this situation, we likewise need to simply disregard the fictional diatribe that is lobbed so often at so many. There are countless signed documents, by tens in attendance and collectively months of solid work done by many of us that openly testified to all we were seeking. All we did was fully available to any who wanted to know, was continually advised by those with lengthy media experience and legal knowledge and by those of us who had done their utmost to talk civilly with the few who were inexperienced and who had agendas that are not part of ACMA guidelines.
It is lovely that friends stick up for each other but not surprisingly, the few who have supported a certain individual, were not themselves involved in the station, were not at any of the meetings, and do not know how much we “the villains” did, because these well intentioned few friends were toally reliant on hearsay. There are few in the community who have not at one time or another been hated by the person in question. When this person likes you, you are left in peace. When that tide changes, then it is open slather. EVERYBODY knows this and sadly so will those who now support the person because they too in time, will take their turn of victim. Nobody knows when this will occur and it is thus impossible to prevent it happening.
Copies of signed documents, attendance records, minutes of meetings, email records and recordings of the meetings, the abuse and the outlandish accusations are neither loshen hora nor heresay.
If anybody has heard the recordings of past meetings with the exec, read the emails we received from the former committee and seen the vitriol that has been sent to us in emails, left on our answering machines, in our face book accounts and on our mobiles, there is nothing and I repeat NOTHING more to prove.
The MO of certain people is well known both here and overseas. If a person has not come to their own conclusions based on their knowledge of the person involved, then no amount of further evidence will make a scrap of difference.
The phrase “Enough rope” comes to mind.
May all in need of healing receive it and all in need of compassion battery recharging receive this too.
G-d bless,
Jackie
At the meeting called by John Searle last week it was mentioned by someone from the opposition to Lion that they are afraid that the Lion management is creating another Arutz Sheva. I found that comment both amusing and telling for several reasons as it provides insight into the mind set and motivations of some of the members of the opposition to Lion, specifically those on the political left. It reflects an attitude predominant on the left that only their viewpoint has the right to be aired. While they often throw around words like ‘inclusiveness’ and ‘diversity’ their actions belie these concepts. Their goal, as always, is to shut down the debate and to dominate the media as much as possible. To their way of thinking, having a Jewish media outlet in Melbourne that is not leftist is worse than not having one at all, therefore, they see themselves as justified in working to shut it down .If they cannot dominate it to perpetuate their left wing bias then theybelieve it shouldn’t be.
The methods being used by the opposition are exactly the same methods the leftists use in Israel, America, Australia, and everywhere. Shut down debate, demonise and delegitimise anyone who does not fit into their politically correct criteria. Then play the victim card, scream that you are being excluded, silenced, otherwise discriminated against (ie:cry they were thrown out of the station, censored, bullied etc.) It is the same modus operandi all the time with these lefties. And then they try to convince the community that the left represents the majority, even though they are in fact a small minority. By using their friends in the media (ie AJN, Galus Australis) to print their one sided views (lies) they make many people believe their story.
Not everyone in the opposition of Lion is a leftist, there are some who are right of centre and pro-Israel joining in with the lefties because their agenda is to gain control and power first, even though they do not agree with the leftist views, they are using the leftists to get a foothold into the power they seek.
Shoshanna, in your reply to me, you said the same thing I did. I don’t disagree with you.
My advice, for what it’s worth, was written there, for the dissenters of the current guidelines of LION FM and their followers to read.
After everything I’ve read, I fully understand the positions of all parties concerned, and have based my opinion on this source of information, alone.
I don’t need to have been there to get the picture. I’m fairly savvy when it comes to people’s “bun” fights, and know the dynamics well.
It could be anywhere about any issue, and the dynamics are ALWAYS the same.
I feel okay to remain outside of this, and independently offer a shining light on these dynamics.
The issue itself is very clear, and has been elaborated on, enough. There is no additional information coming forward, just opinion, and to me, you’re personally being attacked for digging your heels in.
My observation was and is, that this is going on ad infinitum, and I’m saying that the dissenters of LION’s current policy, should stop inciting readers to take their side in a trumped up battle and do their own thing, elsewhere.
They demonstrate a very clear desire to totally disrupt the status quo, until they wear everyone down.
In my eyes, that’s very counter productive, in establishing a communication medium for the Jewish community.
I re-iterate that they should grow up and develop some maturity before they unleash themselves on the general public, because they create more damage than good.
It’s obvious to me that they haven’t experienced enough of real life to form an educated opinion. They appear to have been sheltered in a cloistered existence.
I wish that the employing of smoke screens would stop. Goodness me, if fuelling an ever burning fire is of such interest to those enamoured with vitriol, could they consider finding another hobby such as crocheting, stamp collecting or one comparatively gentle in contrast, such as spear fishing?
Think back when considering if we were out to kill the lion. Who made the launch event? Who wrote the press releases? Who planned, shopped and shlepped? Who ran all the meetings and work bees? Who spent countless hours courting would be donors who and I quote said, “we are not willing to give a cent to Lion FM whilst —- and —- are at the helm. because it would be like flushing our money down the toilet. When those men have stepped aside, speak to us and we will gladly support Lion FM.” There were three of us in the room when we were told that. Who spent countless evenings and Sundays assembling the program grid? Who spent countless hours emailing, gathering program presenters, getting them trained and then eventually going back and forth to community organisations? Do these actions sound like those of people who “want to sabotage the station” Something of which we were so oft accused.
The problems at the running of Lion FM had nothing to do with politics but simply the right of volunteers to be treated with respect, constitutionally and for the station to be run fairly and with decency IN ACCORDANCE WITH ACMA’s wishes which would therefore increase our chances of having the temporary licence made permanent.
Were these unreasonable expectations?.
We were aware that whilst the exec continued to behave as they had e.g. declaring insolvency, refusing voting rights, refusing to establish the requisite committee, refusing to follow ACMA guidelines, continuing to take advantage of volunteers and then refusing to reimburse them for costs as promised, refusing membership based on sexual orientation, refusing membership based on personal preference, unethical conflicts of interests such the exec appointing their own private accountant to be the accountant of MJR, the refusal of the exec to discourse with qualified, experienced people in broadcasting, the refusal to allow us to fund raise, the prolonged refusal to cooperate with the needs of presenters for a studio, the appointment of personal friends and family members to the committee, the prolonged disrespect and mendacity hurled at volunteers, the broken promises, the refusal to dialogue or return calls, emails and mail to name but SOME of our issues with the exec. There is a reason that in so short a period of time not one but BOTH presidents resigned when they could not get certain elements on the exec to see reason. The point at which many of us WERE FORCED TO step aside from being openly active at Lion (though we continued working behind the scenes producing programs, running work groups and working towards fulfilling ACMA guidelines) was when we were told to sign a contract or get out. Shoshanna was in the room when this was yelled in our faces. I still have this contract if anyone wants to see it. These contracts were designed to force us into silence REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE EXEC DID. We were forbidden to hold any meetings or work on anything other than on the premises of Lion FM and were told we would be sued were we to discuss anything at all about what was transpiring at the time.
I had worked for 8 years in community radio and had never, EVER come across such paranoid, controlling, abusive treatment of volunteers. Baruch Hashem I live in a democracy so why on earth would I relinquish my right to free speech, to stand up for my rights and the rights of others, because of one person’s deluded notion that a community radio station can be personally owned.
Had the exec had a clear conscience then why did they need to blackmail the volunteers into silence? Had the exec been confident that they were following ACMA guidelines then why were they terrified for ACMA to learn what they were doing?
Again, these are all indisputable points that can be verified as they are all on public record.
What went on in the demise of the poor wounded Lion, had nothing to do with the right versus the left. It had everything to do with right versus wrong.
I don’t know if the way I write is confusing, but just to make myself clear, I did originally say
“It’s NOT up to the presenters to set the agenda. Their role is to represent the station where they volunteer.”
PS I have written the above for the sake of any who wish to know the truth. As that has been done, I shall waste no more time on this matter.
I wish everybody well and sincerely hope that LION Fm will be reborn in one form or another.
G–d bless,
And herein lies the crux of the matter.
Jackie Rozenfeld believes that the “notion that a community radio station can be personally owned” is “deluded”.
Show me the law that says this can’t happen or that this is forbidden…..
As far as I know, anyone can found an organisation that serves the community, and still personally own and fund it, and run its own agenda, provided that there’s no criminal intent.
That’s the beauty of a democratic capitalist society.
Continuing each week online
This Week’s
The Melbourne Jewish Women’s Show
with your hosts Shoshanna Silcove & Ilana Leeds
Thursday Evening, June 23, at 7:00 PM at
Listen on the live stream here: http://www.lionfm.org/listen.html
An All New Segment:
One mother’s struggle and triumph with her autistic son
Louisa,
).
If you have experience in community radio, you will know it to be a tightly governed sector that has very specific guidlines for what is and is not tolerated.
No one person can own a bandwidth nor a community radio station.
First we were told that the money to set up the aerial etc had been GIVEN by a certain person who later retracted that and said that the money had merely been a LOAN. It was this retraction that meant that Lion FM was therefore in debt to this person and thus WAS considered to be insolvent, again jeopardising any chance of having their license made permanent.
Even HAD the person in question, given the money as they initially stated, that still under ACMA guidlines does NOT give them the right to play G-d with what goes on with the station. That the person used “giving money” as their justification for being able to do whatever they wanted, should not even be relevant in their OWN eyes, since they later said “it was merely a loan”.
Louise, feel free to peruse all ACMA information which is available on line.
Though it is nice of you to come to the defence of those you feel need defending, I confess to wondering at what point you are going to see that the facts speak for themselves and ask what is motivating YOU to continue supporting the unsupportable. I mean this with respect.
A radio license is a VERY precious thing and ACMA will NOT given them out unless it can be demonstrated that this license WILL be treated with due reverence and that ACMA’s guidelines will be followed.
Much of the work that JCCV did and the reason they became involved in the first place was BECAUSE they saw the importance of maintaining the license and because they as did we all, know that as soon as the exec’s shenanigans became public or chas ve shalom, hit the press, it would be a major chillum Hashem and only serve to fuel further antisemitism. I am sure you can imagine what a field day the press would have were it to have become known that a woman was ousted for being gay with the words “we do not want popele like THAT at the station!”. Do YOU feel that would give a good impression of a Jewish radio station? Do you think blackmail is good for Jewish PR? I am confident that you agree.
A community radio station is designed to represent a community and a community includes various, different elements. Anybody with any experience in or knowledge of community radio would KNOW this.
One day I said to menachem. “Why when there are so many of us volunteers who have had countless years experience with radio, media, ACMA, being ignored and all descisions about the station are being made by a few men on an exec who have had NO experience AT ALL?” To which he replied “Jackie that is a good question but I am not prepared to discuss it with you.” He knew me well as I had just finished doing his PR and speechwriting for another of his projects. That was the only reason he even spoke to me. Most others did not get speak to him at all on these matters.
Louise, as I said, you are welcome to read the documentation, listen to the recordings of how we were abused and how the exec repeatedly contradicted themselves etc etc etc. and decide for yourself. we have nothing to hide which is why all we have said and done has been made available for viewing.
I have only answered here as you seem like a genuine person and you are not out to simply squabble but I feel I cannot be more clear re the objective state of affairs that caused the loss of the license.
Hopefully THIS time I will manage to keep my mouth shut!
G-d bless
B’H
I am sure you understand that this is a public venue and almost anyone who wants can read this blog. So are you out to create a Chillul Hashem? If this really happened why would you bring it up and publicise it.
I think the station has a right to choose the make up of the members of the community and it is not as if we are lacking in venues for the G & L lot. They have mardi gras, radio shows, TV shows, plays, films and restaurants etc. Next they will be asking for G&L toilets and shopping malls. Well good luck to them. Some of us just want a bit of family orientated air space without having to be apologetic, PC and so darn righteously all inclusive. Nothing is going to happen to gay people if they do not get to sit at my table, attend the events I attend or whatever. They get on with their life and I with mine. Let them start their own radio station and call it Ram FM because some of them are hell bent on ramming their lifestyle down everyone else’s throat. What is the point in posting this sort of slander? To further denigrate the radio station.
I am sure you can imagine what a field day the press would have were it to have become known that a woman was ousted for being gay with the words “we do not want popele like THAT at the station!”. Do YOU feel that would give a good impression of a Jewish radio station? Do you think blackmail is good for Jewish PR? I am confident that you agree.
Oops…sorry…I typed a smiley face but it got translated into a person having a dental examination!.
Jackie, yes I was in the room at that meeting and no one was blackmailed, censored, bullied, or otherwise mistreated.You and your friends simply did not get your way. There may have been some tempers flaring and heated discussions but, this does not in any way, shape, manner or, form constitute abuse of any kind. The executive, within their full rights, have certain policies. One of them is no one can volunteer without signing the volunteer agreement. Whomever refused to sign it did so out of their own personal choice. And there were confidentiality issues as well, all normal parts of the business of any organisation.
No one was refused membership based on sexual orientation or anything else discriminatory. And you have not a iota of evidence to suggest discrimination of any kind.
I suggest these allegations are totally unfounded ad you are hysterically exaggerating..
I will fight when necessary to defend the good works of the people in the Lion management that I have come to trust and hold in high regard. Ad I will also continue to build. I am continuing my radio show and working to help us expand. We will find a new home soon, G-d willing, on air. Stay tuned.
Jackie reveals herself as being more interested in being right than in the Jewish community radio station’s success. Otherwise, why would she publicly smear the present VP and Acting Pres. Menachem Khoen ? And why post this slander now when the station is struggling to get back on air? Why kick the station when it is down? To what end if only to try to show she is in the right and get her revenge or vent her considerable rage.
Jackie may find this hard to swallow but, the executive was not beholden to her and her friends’ every whim and criticism. It is just untrue that the executive refused to confer with media professionals, they just may not have felt the the need to explain all their activities to Jackie and her friends, so she just didn’t know about what they were doing.The executive of a communal organisation is not obligated to confer with every volunteer or to let every volunteer know exactly everything the executive is doing. But Jackie and her meddlesome friends wanted to be ‘in the know’, to be important and to be in control. It is just not true that the executive lacks media experience as they have that plus vast organisational ad business experience. Jackie has little business or executive experience ad has yet to prove her so-called vast media experience.
And if there are recordings as Jackie claims, which I highly doubt, but if there are, and if she is threatening to expose them, then Jackie may be foolishly be putting herself into possible legal strife.
What makes you, Jackie, think Lion did not comply with ACMA guidelines? That is a lie made out of whole cloth.
And yes Jackie, the guy(s) who put their money where their mouths are and keep othe whole ball of wax together have the right to call some of the shots. And you had no right to but yet wanted to and tried to call the shots and lost i the end, hence your sour grapes.
I’ve read the ACMA guidelines, and, as far as I can see, LION FM has NOT breached any of them.
People can read guidelines and manuals and rules of anything, and then interpret them to suit their own agendas, but, rules are rules and if you read them without an agenda in your head, they are usually realistically flexible.
I suggest that everyone with a hot head, re-read them objectively. That’s why Australian business laws have NO punctuation marks! so that we are all reading exactly the same thing.
P.S. JOY FM is a gay radio station for the sharing of Gay interests and issues. It gives Gays a voice within the confines of the Gay community as a social sub group of society as a whole.
Does anyone believe they should also be the voice of heterosexuals in the name of being all inclusive of the community?
It is utter nonsense to prescribe all inclusive, in community radio. The very definition of community radio is the representation of different SECTORS of the community, and not be the WHOLE of society.
Get a grip!
ACMA guidelines do NOT prescribe COMMUNITY ownership of community radio stations.
I’ve said it before—have a nice cup of tea and a good lie down. Take a rest from the venting, as it is counter productive.
Louisa, I have simply repeated what we were instructed by those in media and who work WITH ACMA. I have no idea who you are nor why you are speaking the way you are.
Read over the above contributions and objectively look who is speaking and their manner.
I wrote three responses since yesterday and then asked Eli three times NOT to publish them. As much as SS has waged war on so many of us, we also feel sorry for her as it cannot be nice to be the recipient of the views and feelings she elicits from others. What I wrote in those three posts was all true and public knowledge either here or in NY but though i abhor the way SS treats others, I had to remind myself constantly that she cannot help herself. I also wanted SS to have the last word and hopefully let things quiet down but now you have got on your high horse with NO experience with any of the dealings, never having listened to any of the recordings and now speaking in direct contradiction to ACMA guidelines. I also have trouble understanding your motive in becoming so heatedly involved in this discussion unless this is enjoyable for you. I only wrote to redress the lies that were being told and to provide readers with the option of making up their own mind. What was YOUR goal?
As for your and SS accusing me of venting….
Projection
psychology
a. the belief, esp in children, that others share one’s subjective mental life
b. See also defence mechanism the process of projecting one’s own hidden desires and impulses
I have wasted enough time in here and though everyone expects warring rhetoric from SS, I wanted to give YOU the benefit of the doubt that you were genuinely speaking in ignorance but now that your writing is sounding as it does, there is just no point discussing something with you when you feel you know more than 5 lawyers, 2 barristers, 4 radio journos, the heads of JCCV and those who have been in community radio for decades.Though many of us had many years in radio, NONE of us compared in knowledge to Greg Segal and Lucille Rogers which was why we conferred with them as well as others in the industry who unanimously recommended the steps needed to be taken, to safeguard the licence.
If I speak the truth and defend ourselves, instead of reproaching the attacker, you blame us much as the world blames israel when she attempts to defend herself. When I explain what truly occured, you say we only care to say we were right. When i give you the resources to check for yourself, you select what you check and then respond with the implication that you know ACMA better than all those who counselled us. You seek online war whilst we seek future improvements.
If it makes you happy to hate us, gzunteh heit. At least you will find us to be of SOME service…lol
As I will no longer read this site and therefore no longer reply, let it thus go on record that my future silence in NO WAY is to be taken as agreement with what you are saying.
All of our phone numbers are publicly known and those who wanted to ask questions rang us.
I wish you well. I am not returning to this forum because I do not trust myself to keep my fat mouth shut and it is I who am the idiot in thinking that you were sincerely seeking the truth. I apologise.
Eli please post this. Thanks.
All Are invited:
Lion FM Emergency meeting
Sunday evening at 7 PM at the studio
Topic:
Lion FM: Past, Preset and Future
Please note that i do not have the time to moderate this post any further. I don’t see much point in continuing this discussion as it seems to be going in circles.Now that you have all made your point unless you have something new to add lets move on.
Jackie, you keep saying you are not posting anymore yet you keep coming back. I find it quite entertaining as you reveal more and more of your silliness.
Interesting how you slander and attack me all while claiming to be for all the right noble causes and motivations and deflecting away from the issues. You are wrong Jackie, I am very happy being me and have, thank G-d a wonderful full blessed life. I have the courage of my convictions and broad shoulders and do not fear people, only Hashem. I could say plenty about your reputation but won’t stoop to your low debased level.
I’m not going to answer spiteful, childishness. I made up my own mind by checking the facts, and because I disagree with Jackie, I’m accused of being aggressive.
All Jackie’s comments prove my point. No need for further elaboration.
I’ve probably got more experience in my little finger, and that’s why I feel confident in what I say.
I agree with you Eli. I’m bored with this. Let’s move on
Yes it’s boring but I have the right to self defense against Jackie’s spiteful hateful sander against me.
(edited out by editor). I am a very active Lubavitcher who visits NY at east every year or two. When I go back to Crown Heights, the heart of Lubavitch in Brooklyn,I have heaps of friends and contacts, So these innuendos about me being hated in NY are just cheap slanderous lies.
To say that I that I abused her or her cohorts is disgusting smear. We had heated arguments and Jackie and her cohorts did their fair share of insulting and slandering from their end, yet Jackie plays the victim card and cries like an inocent who has been so terribly abused. It is all part of her very well known ploy or her act as she is pretty good at being deceitfully manipulative. I am a straight shooter, call a spade a spade, and have little or no tolerance for these childish games, and people like Jackie hate that about me, Tough luck.
The group of Jackie and her cohorts whom she worked in opposition against the radio with remind me of the orphan who kills his parents and then pleads to the court for mercy because he is an orphan. Things did not go for them as planned. They wanted to take over and run Lion and now instead they are on the outside of Lion and their frustration and anger is palpable. By the way, out of a them at that time over a year ago, Jackie did the least work, and made the most division and problems.