Off-air discussions after Lion’s pause
A COMMUNITY meeting has set the goal of establishing a new Jewish community radio station in Melbourne following the demise of Lion FM.
A COMMUNITY meeting has set the goal of establishing a new Jewish community radio station in Melbourne following the demise of Lion FM.
Participants at the June 26 meeting, organised by Jewish Broadcasting for the Community (JBC), included current and former members of Melbourne Jewish Radio (MJR), which ran Lion FM, and representatives of Jewish programs on community station 3ZZZ.
Participants agreed a new station must comply with community broadcasting standards and cater to diverse Jewish groups.
There was broad consensus at the Beth Weizmann Community Centre meeting that a new station should have backing from the Jewish Community Council of Victoria (JCCV) and other state and federal communal bodies.
Dr Paul Gardner, JBC’s interim chairman, told the meeting: “We aim to support and promote Jewish broadcasting generally. We are not opposed to MJR. We see our role as assisting community-based broadcasting organisations whose aims and objectives fit within the parameters of our own broad and inclusive objectives.”
He said the leadership of Lion FM seemed uninterested in gaining JBC’s support, “which is regrettable, but our door is always open”.
Dr Gardner said JBC’s role would be to facilitate applications for a community licence, not obtain its own licence. But questions were raised about the likelihood of another temporary permit, after the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) last month withdrew Lion FM’s licence.
Some attendees suggested consulting those involved with MJR’s successful application.
Rabbi Jonathan Keren-Black, a member of JBC’s advisory group, told The AJN: “From people who know, there seems to be some optimism that if [ACMA] were dealing with a credible cross-community application, they would have to consider it on its merits.”
JBC has also won cooperation from a third group interested in gaining a licence, Jewish Community Radio.
Sunday night’s gathering followed a stormy meeting on June 16, which aired recriminations over who was responsible for the plug being pulled Lion FM.
MJR vice-president Menachem Khoen was invited to Sunday’s JBC meeting but declined. MJR, meanwhile, held its own meeting at the station’s studio. “I have received a lot of phone calls and emails of support from those people who attended,” said Khoen.
“We were very happy to see more than 60 people at the meeting including VIP members of our community. The message we gave ‘No more war, No more fighting’ was well received.
“We are looking forward to work together with all parties involved and we welcome all to become member of our organisation.”
Caption: Dr Paul Gardner (left) and John Kraus.
PETER KOHN
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