Dismissal of Jewish radio host “breached rules”

The Australian Communications and Media Authority has found Sydney community broadcaster Radio Skid Row breached community participation rules in the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 when it dismissed a Jewish volunteer presenter without following proper procedures.

An ACMA investigation found the station failed to follow its own disciplinary procedure when it dismissed Nicole, who prefers not to have her last name used, without giving her clear reasons or offering a right of appeal.

While ACMA found the station’s policies did not restrict participation on political or cultural grounds, its failure to follow proper procedures left Nicole believing she was dismissed for her political and cultural views.

The ACMA also found that the dismissal also contributed to a broader perception of barriers to participation based on political and cultural beliefs within the station.

Sky News reports that two of the senior staff at the station who were involved in the dismissal have since quit.

In a statement on its website, the station said the meeting’s original intent was about behaviour and staff expectations but “descended into reactive behaviours that fell outside the station’s guidelines.”

The station said all people present at the meeting have left Skid Row or were excluded due to not complying with policies and procedures, adding “we have looked internally and forward to a better future.”

Nicole hosted a Spanish language Latin American community program on the station.

She told The AJN in December she was terminated following a confrontational meeting where station management mocked her concerns about antisemitism and insisted she promote Palestinian resistance movements.

“While I was telling them how this movement, what it’s done to the Jewish community, how it’s reminiscent of the Holocaust, how it’s been really uncomfortable, and we’re scared… they were laughing at me,” she said.

When Nicole told a female staff member she didn’t appreciate the laughter at her struggle and emotions, the woman responded: “I don’t appreciate your white woman tears.”

Nicole said management confirmed supporting Palestinian resistance included supporting the taking of hostages and denying Hamas had committed atrocities on October 7, and insisted she would need to “discuss it on my show and join their rallies” to continue broadcasting.

“This is not about talking about my political views or criticising any other views, it’s more just about finding respect in each other and finding a grey area in such a nuanced topic,” Nicole said.

She has declined to comment on the recent ACMA findings.

ACMA Authority Member Carolyn Lidgerwood said community radio stations have a responsibility to encourage broad participation from the communities they serve.

“When stations fail to follow their own disciplinary procedures, it can create barriers to participation and discourage community involvement. This is the opposite of what community broadcasting is intended to achieve,” Ms Lidgerwood said.

Radio Skid Row has accepted the findings and agreed to implement training on policies and procedures for volunteers, and report to ACMA about any disciplinary actions in 2026 and 2027.

National Council of Jewish Women of Australia president Lynda Ben-Menashe told Sky News that while ACMA’s finding highlighted “procedural failures”, it failed to address “the heart of the matter”.

“While acknowledging breaches in process, they claimed the complaint was an attempt to ‘silence’ them,” Ms Ben-Menashe said. “In reality, it was about holding them accountable for their discrimination against a volunteer who opposed their extremist stance.”

A second ACMA investigation into complaints about Radio Skid Row’s on-air content did not find breaches of the community broadcasting codes of practice.