Radio staff blame board for woes

NO ONE will be going on air, say the presenters and producers of community radio station AlexFM, after they went on a go-slow that started on Friday.

The on-air staff of the Alexandra community radio station went on a go-slow on Friday to press home their demand for the board members to resign with immediate effect.

The staff members include presenters, producers and radio technical staff.

“We’ve taken action saying no one will be going on air,” said producer and news reporter Shirley Mathakga.

The station has been playing automated music and advertisements since Friday, with presenters and producers refusing to broadcast their scheduled shows.

The staff are complaining about the station’s working conditions because of the alleged mismanagement of funds by the board members.

“People are not getting paid and there are those who have been volunteering for many years without getting paid. Yet there is revenue coming into the station through advertising and donations, but where is the money going?” said Mathakga.

“Everything is a mess. The boardroom chairs, and the studio itself is dilapidated. Some of the headphones are not working, and microphones look old and disgusting,” she added.

“This is not what the board promised. They promised to improve the station and bring revenue into the station in regard to bringing in advertisers and investors.”

According to the staff, the station’s finances are being controlled at board level and not by management.

“The management of the station must have access to the financials of the station, not the board. The board has to oversee that everything is in order, not the other way around,” said Mathakga.

AlexFM station manager Takalani Nenangowe confirmed this.

The complaints about the financial management of the station have been happening since 2010, according to Nenangowe.

On Saturday, the staff members occupied the station and refused to go on air. Their presence resulted in the board members allegedly consulting their legal team to draft a court interdict demanding that the staff go back on air.

Mathakga said: “They called on the police and they couldn’t arrest us because there was no one doing anything criminal.”

Members of the community in the listeners’ forum suggested a meeting this coming Sunday to discuss the issues at the station.

Nenangowe said: “We as management are trying to find ways to mediate the situation and find amicable ways to resolve this matter. We are trying to make sure that everyone at the station is happy.”

The staff members are sending out petitions to gather support and will be going to Icasa and the CCMA to receive advice on the way forward.

They want the board to resign with immediate effect.

Members of the board were contacted for comment, but The Star team’s phone calls were not answered.