South Australian regional community radio station 5TCB Bordertown, which closed down due to financial difficulties in April this year (see earlier story), is back on air again thanks to the efforts of local supporters.
Chairman Barrie Hayman has told radioinfo:
“The station is holding its own, financially, and picking up support from listeners and sponsors. We still have a long way to go as equipment will need replacing soon…
The down side is that the new 5TCB inherited five unacquitted grants, one going back to 2001 and with very few, if any, records to support the expenditure, I’ve only been able to finalise three so far. One such grant had no records what-so-ever and an acquittal attempt failed; placing 5TCB in a “D” category with that particular organisation. Meaning we either return the money (quite impossible) or never received grants from them again.
“As the Bible says, ‘the sins of the fathers will be visited upon the children.’
One very messy grant for a repeater transmitter in the Robe Kingston region is causing a headache as the money was spent differently to the grant application and the terms and conditions of the grant. Once again some invoices and expenditure records can’t be found. I’m trying to solve this one at the moment.”
The ACMA has renewed 5TCB’s licence for five years.
An ACMA spokesperson has told radioinfo the regulator put in place “agreed measures designed to address concerns about the licensee’s financial and management capacity… 5TCB has been cooperative and has met the requirements of the agreed measures to date.”
Hayman is pleased that things are getting back to normal for the station. On August 29th, 5TCB returned to outside broadcasting when it gave a full ball-by-ball coverage of the four finals football matches of the KNTFL league. With a team of two very experienced callers and two commentators, the 31/2 hour continuous broadcasts were “very successful.”
Netball and junior football scores were included in the broadcast. 5TCB took its OB van to Kingston SE, Kaniva, Mundulla and Naracoorte for the broadcasts. Hayman says listener feedback was “excellent.”
According to Barrie Hayman, the music content of the station is widening and it has new presenters in training, with some old presenters returning to the studios. “Sub-committees are active but there is plenty of room for more volunteers.”
The station’s AGM takes place in October with a fundraising radiothon to follow later in the year.