Report to Friends and Members - 21 March 2010

Much has been said and even more has been written about 4CCR 89.1 FM, its imminent demise, the debilitating infighting, the disappointments, the lost opportunities and most seriously the erosion of community trust and dissipating sponsorship support.

Currently 4CCR is again under investigation by Australian Communication and Media Authority (ACMA) for various breaches of the Code of Conduct and the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) for breaches of the Constitution. The Friends await with interest the findings of these investigations.

I recently had the opportunity to inspect the transmission facilities for 4CCR at Mt Yarrabah and came away concerned at the external neglect of the infrastructure. Once the monsoon is over the overgrown state of weeds and grasses is a potential fire hazard. The transmission tower is in need of urgent maintenance due to extensive corrosion which is affecting the quality of the signal and its structural stability not to mention the internal electronic items which are in need of urgent attention.

The legal position of the tenure of 4CCR's sublease with the Lessor needs to be urgently addressed. Appointed meetings between the parties have been cancelled at short notice by Mr Rod Coutts. Furthermore, I am concerned that scarce financial resources that need to be expended on essential maintenance are been directed to fund spurious membership challenges.

If Cairns is once again to have a Community station of excellence, an inclusive station that we all can be proud of, then this trend must be arrested and reversed. As the situation stands today there is a lack of professional conduct and transparency in the financial and administrative affairs.

Notwithstanding the above concerns, I would like to thank Mr Rod Coutts and the Management Committee for having accepted my application for membership of the radio station. I hope to play my part in the advancement of 4CCR. I would like to place on the record that I offered to fill one of the two vacant positions on the Management Committee. To date my offer has not been accepted and indeed has been referred to 4CCR's Solicitor. I am disappointed that my extensive community participation appears to have been ignored.

In January 2010, following a meeting of Councillors of the Cairns Regional Council, disillusioned general committee members and concerned listeners, I was approached to lead a group of Friends of 4CCR 89.1FM.

Friends was launched on the 2nd February 2010 and to this date 4 successful meeting have been held. At our first meeting we adopted a set of values and aims that unite the Friends to a common goal.

I would like to that this opportunity to share with you the aims and objectives.

1. To ensure probity and integrity in the station through a democratically elected management committee that is open and financially accountable;
   
2. To promote the appointment via open merit, public advertisement of a suitably qualified station manager to oversee the running of the station and whose duties are separate from unpaid management committee positions;
   
3. To encourage membership of 4CCR/ FM 89.1;
   
4. To ensure, via the management committee, that an active program sub-committee is established forthwith to examine 4CCR/FM 89.1 scheduling and content with a view to improving the relevance and engagement with the local community and thus to return credibility and purpose to the station;
   
5. To advocate an adequate training program for presenters to ensure that the on-air standards expected of Community Radio, as described in the Codes of Practice, are upheld.

Under my guidance, the Friends extend to all current members of 4CCR including the current President Mr Rod Coutts our hand of friendship and goodwill. I would like to acknowledge that there are good people in both organisations and I appeal to the members of 4CCR who share my aspirations to come forward and forge a common goal.

I am sure I speak on behalf of the Friends when I say that we are not interested in recriminations or continuing finger pointing. As mature adults we should all look for a common thread where unity can prevail.
To this end the Friends prepared a draft 'Memorandum of Understanding' for the consideration of the Management Committee and General Members.

Under a covering letter dated 4th March 2010 addressed to Mr Rod Coutts, I attached the draft 'Memorandum of Understanding' for his information and referral to the Management Committee for their consideration. I still await acknowledgement thereof.
For the information of the members of 4CCR who may not be familiar with this document it is attached herewith.

I believe it is a fair document and a document that extends out the Friend’s arm of goodwill and assistance. For this document to work there must be give and take on both sides. On behalf of the Friends I am prepared to give. I am happy for this document to be the starting point of negotiations that will culminate in a solution that is satisfactory to the Community, members of 4CCR and Friends and to the regulating authorities.

Finally, there must be meaningful dialogue between 4CCR's Management Committee and the Friends before the situation becomes terminal. I appeal to all fair minded 4CCR members who have the conviction to be part of the solution, not to let this golden opportunity pass us by. We owe it to the community to give it our best shot. My personal email address is pari...@yahoo.com.au (click on the three dots to reveal my email address).
I look forward to reading your views. Thank you in anticipation.

Ross Parisi
Chairperson
'Friends of 4CCR/FM 89.1'
21.03.2010