J-Air presenter barred
J-AIR presenter Abe Schwarz was prevented from going on air last Sunday night because, according to station management, he breached the station's guidelines and wasn't responding to emails or phone calls.
J-AIR presenter Abe Schwarz was prevented from going on air last Sunday night because, according to station management, he breached the station’s guidelines and wasn’t responding to emails or phone calls.
During the Tikkun Olam Hour the previous week Schwarz had said, “J-Air is proud to bring you interviews of two heroes of the Melbourne Jewish community”, referring to two of the activists involved in the counter protest against the rally organised that day by Avi Yemini.
What upset J-Air management was that Schwarz didn’t explain to listeners that it was he who viewed them as heroes, not the station.
J-Air management claim they tried to contact Schwarz, via email, text and phone, during the week but that he didn’t respond appropriately.
As a result, management decided that he would not be allowed to go on air on Sunday night and physically stopped him entering the studio.
“The information only came to me on erev Rosh Hashanah and it wasn’t actionable by me until after Rosh Hashanah,” Schwarz told The AJN.
“The only time I was in a halachic position to respond was on Saturday night, but I had something on in my personal life so I wasn’t able to.”
Schwarz said that he knew he made a mistake and that he wanted to correct his mistake on air.
“At the behest of J-Air management I was going to make the announcement they wanted me to on air, but they wouldn’t let me.
“I totally am comfortable stating that my view is not the view of the station.”
J-Air stood by its position that Schwarz had to apologise, but said they could have communicated better with him.
“J-Air publicly apologises for raising community concerns,” it said in a statement. “The issue related to Schwarz stating that the station supported the views of his guests, and J-Air required that this be addressed and withdrawn to comply with Australia Communications and Media Authority and community radio guidelines and J-Air’s rules.
“J-Air is in discussions with Schwarz about removing this content from the podcast from the show and then the podcast will be re-installed.”
J-Air president Sean Meltzer told The AJN, “Mistakes were made by us. We’re just volunteers trying to run a community radio station for the community.”
J-Air and Schwarz are continuing discussions and the Tikkun Olam Hour is expected to be back on air this Sunday night.
JOSHUA LEVI
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