Trouble in the Lion’s den

AS Jewish radio station Lion FM tries to finds its feet, those involved are discovering it’s a jungle out there.

Not only has the station’s president resigned, but differences between the management and the presenters of one program led to their show being pulled off air.

Vice-president Menachem Kohen confirmed to The AJN this week that president Michael Lipshutz had resigned, but would not comment further. While Lipshutz did not respond to calls by the time of press, The AJN understands that his departure came after differences in opinion with the board. The appointment of a new president is expected within days.

Lipshutz’s resignation comes amid censorship claims made by broadcaster Bram Presser, whose show, 100% Peace, was pulled last week . In the show, Presser called for the establishment of a Palestinian state and¬† Jerusalem as a shared capital.

Presser, who presents the program with Adam Krongold, claimed the station “dictates what the content and political bent of our show should be and gives unfettered rights to the executive that impinge on our rights, not only as volunteers but as individuals in a wider sense”. Presser’s concerns lie in the station’s volunteer’s agreement, which among many points states that the undersigned will work “to promote the centrality of the State of Israel in Jewish life”¬† and “to promote Zionism”.

Insisting he is a Zionist who loves Israel, Presser said he nonetheless couldn’t sign the agreement. “It goes against all my journalistic ethics to be bound by the executive’s political agenda. It would be equally so if their agenda was of the opposite persuasion.

“For me, it is a simple matter of free speech and integrity. I have done lots of media and have never been forced to sign something so archaic or proscriptive.”

But Kohen disagreed, insisting the agreement is standard practice at any organisation.

“Like all radio stations, we have rules and a constitution. We say if you want to be a part of our radio station, sign the agreement,” he said. “We are a Zionist radio station. If people are anti-Zionist or do not want to accept the main aim of the station, they do not like our support of Israel … if they don’t accept our constitution, we don’t accept them at the station.”

A Lion insider claimed Presser’s program was pulled because the broadcasters had failed to sign the station’s volunteer’s agreement, stressing it had nothing to do with the show’s content. Presser, however, maintained that prior to the broadcast he had said he would sign a separate presenter’s agreement, albeit under protest, once he returned from holiday in a fortnight’s time.

Acknowledging the station’s teething problems, Kohen said “We are really in the beginning. There is a long way to go and there are a lot of challenges ahead of us. People should give us a chance”.

DALIA SABLE