No JOY in loss of staff
The shake-up continues at Melbourne GLBTI radio station JOY94.9 with the board signal ing a change in direction and an increased advocacy role.
The sudden resignation of station manager Stephen Hahn last week sparked a flurry of change at the station, with marketing manager Dan Vo called in as Hahn’s interim replacement.
Head of engineering Travis Scott and acting head of music Adam Christou also resigned from their roles last week, though they have cited unrelated personal reasons.
The station has engaged the help of an experienced radio hand and JOY94.9 member, former ABC director of radio Sue Howard. Howard will work with long-standing volunteers and the board in a review of the station’s operations.
In addition to the new management line-up, JOY94.9 last week emailed its members with a survey asking them to identify and rank current issues facing the community such as depression, discrimination and law reform.
JOY94.9 president Stephen Duns told Southern Star the survey would direct the board on issues close to the community’s heart, with the view the station would take up an external advocacy role. Duns said the local community viewed the station as a -œtrusted source of information. He said research conducted by the station indicated community support for assuming an advocacy role.
-œI use the example of the young guy who was in the Brisbane school who couldn’t take his partner to the dance, which received a lot of press, and the recent issue of the Home and Away plot lines, he said. -œThese are times JOY could have a greater role in speaking up for the community.
Duns said JOY94.9 had the support of other advocacy groups including the Victorian Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby and the ALSO Foundation.
He rejected concerns the move could alienate some volunteers.
-œIf we get an overwhelming response [that members] don’t want JOY to go down the advocacy path we won’t … but if 95 percent of people support this … we can’t run the station on a 5 percent minority, Duns said.
Hahn told Southern Star last week he quit his post for personal reasons, but expressed concern about the community advocacy plan.
-œI’m not sure that’s the direction I would want to take the station in as manager, he said.
The station is expected to advertise the position of general manager in the coming weeks.
Your Say: Should JOY94.9 take up the role of community spokesperson? Email your thoughts to [email protected]
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I’d like Joy to get their act together as a radio station first. They’re meant to represent diversity, so I can’t see how they can represent a single opinion on anything. I’m also tired of Joy telling me that “gay” seems to equal “girly dance music”. Joy really seems to believe that “gay” = “lame”.
They should concentrate on getting the radio right first. For awhile it looked as though they might, but some shows seem to have recently been cancelled.
They already tell people what to play on air and the thought of them now telling us what we should be ‘thinking & doing’ is a little scary, especially considering how ‘middle of the road’ their programming is.
If the Board at joy want to be lobbyists or politicians than join the appropriate groups, not try and transfer a radio station into a platform for personal agendas.
Hi,
Simply put I think that JOY should not take on the role of
more of a GLBT community advocate.
I love listening to JOY and I would be a member if the annual subscription was more affordable. I think JOY really
is a unifying force in our community, until this proposal was presented that is.
There are so many differing views on everything within our community. I think JOY should be there to give all points of view on everything GLBT oxygen without fear or favour.
If you want to advocate something then why not start a program on JOY to do just that. Use the show to gain support for whatever it is you are advocating and enlist the aid of all those, who agree with you, to lobby or to protest in support of it.
I think JOY should sit above all these competing ideas so that shows can be aired that allow opposing views, on everything related to us. If JOY takes on an advocating role, then doesnt that mean that people in the organisation will have to take sides against one group or the other in our community and wont that divide us rather than JOY continuing to unifie us as it has done so well in the past.
JOY’s role should be that of a conduit not as a player in my opinion.
Love Denise Plus
Richmond Vic.
more bullshit to overshadow the realities at JOY.. love how you delete anything negative ..
Dear JOYsters,
Advocacy is a loaded word.
If “advocacy” translates to preaching to the converted, it is not going to bring about change. The great thing about radio is its accessibility. Anyone can listen, no matter how they define their sexuality. It’s one thing to sing alone in the shower but it takes a little more courage to stand up in front of a crowd and sing your favorite song.
One of the things I’ve always loved about JOY the opportunity to bring the serious and the silly to the one table. It would be sad indeed to alienate those who simply want to listen for the music.
Advocacy is all very well, but unless JOY can broadcast without fear or favour (ie without prejudice) it will not be taken seriously as a media organization and will subsequently loose the support its own community. The last thing we need is a dumbing down of community broadcasters. We are many and our community broadcaster should reflect that.
Regards
Kaye Sera
xxx