Press Release: Community Pickets CKLN After Volunteers Locked Out

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Community Pickets CKLN After Volunteers Locked Out
Management, board, voted out in February, refuses to cede control, bans volunteers

TORONTO, ON, June 26, 2008 --- Locked out CKLN 88.1 FM volunteers and community supporters will hold their first picket outside the community radio station on Friday, June 27 beginning at 6 PM and continue through the evening. The pickets will be led by programmers who would normally be on-air at these times. However, several weeks ago, Mike Phillips unilaterally cancelled these programs and many others, and barred dozens of long-time volunteers from entering the building, sometimes hiring police to guard the entrance.

Phillips continues to misrepresent himself as CKLN’s Station Manager, refusing to recognize the Feb 23 vote of dismissal. Along with Phillips, former Interim Program Director Tony Barnes and former board members Josie Miner and Doug Barrett, will not accept the 90 per cent vote of non-confidence at a meeting of 144 community, volunteer and student members. The CKLN membership democratically elected new community representatives on April 29 and new volunteer representatives on May 3 in accordance with CKLN bylaws, but the old board has refused to relinquish control.

The Friday programs taken off-air are Frameline, Word of Mouth (which also hosts OCAP Radio, No One Is Illegal Radio and Anti-Psychiatry Radio) and Reggaemania. Those claiming to be CKLN management have now locked out over 25 volunteers, including those behind CKLN’s only feminist programs, Radio Cliteracy and Frequency Feminisms, and silenced the the voice of Audrey Redman, the only First Nations woman to host a show on the station. Redman was last heard on Honour the Earth May 11, when Phillips cut her off mid-show as she interviewed other locked-out CKLN members.

Locked out volunteers are urging supporters to sign the online petition to CKLN’s lawyer Paula Boutis at http://www.gopetition.com/online/20115.html. The petition calls for Boutis to recognize the democratically elected board, chosen by CKLN members by elections in late April and early May. This board, elected in accordance with the CKLN bylaws, includes Heather Douglas (volunteer rep), Ron Nelson (volunteer rep), Geoff MacDonald (community rep), Arnold Minors (community rep) and Conrad Collaco (former core staff rep) along with the student representatives elected last Fall.

Contacts:
Verlia Stephens (locked out volunteer, Limin’ in De African Diaspora): 416-530-1492 (h), 416-723-1271 (c), verlia@hotmail.com
Barbara Goslawski (locked out volunteer, Frameline): 416-778-9157, bgos923@hotmail.com
Susy Alvarez (locked out volunteer, Word of Mouth): 416-996-5540, susy.pocasangre@gmail.com
WEBSITE: takebackourradio.blogspot.com
EMAIL: takebackourradio@gmail.com

Volunteers on the Following Programs Have Been Silenced:

ANTI-PSYCHIATRY RADIO
DAT DERE
FRAMELINE
FRQUENCY FEMINISMS
HONOUR THE EARTH
LIMIN' IN DE AFRICAN DIASPORA
LOWDOWN 2 UPTOWN
NO ONE IS ILLEGAL RADIO
OCAP RADIO
RADIO CLITERACY
REGGAEMANIA
SATURDAY MORNING LIVE
SOUNDS OF AFRICA
UPSURGENCE
WORD OF MOUTH NEWS

Add Your Name to Our Online Petition

Take Back the Airwaves! Community Reclaim 88.1 FM!

*Circulate Far and Wide*

Please add your name to our online petition at:

www.gopetition.com/online/20115.html

Volunteers on the Following Shows Have Been Silenced:

• Anti-Psychiatry Radio
  
• Dat Dere
  
• Frameline
  
• Frequency Feminisms
  
• Honour the Earth
  
• Limin' in De African Diaspora
  
• Lowdown 2 Uptown
  
• OCAP Radio
  
• Radio Cliteracy
  
• Reggaemania
  
• Saturday Morning Live
  
• Sounds of Africa
  
• Upsurgence
• Word of Mouth

Join Locked Out Programmers on the Picket Lines!

PICKETS TO BE HELD:

• Fridays after 6 PM
  
• Tuesdays at NOON
  
• Wednesdays at NOON
  
• Sundays 10:30 to NOON
  

LOCATION:

Outside the Ryerson Student Campus Centre (SCC)
55 Gould Street
Toronto, Ontario
(Near Yonge and Dundas)

Map

*CHECK BACK FOR UPDATES*

Email, Snail Mail or Fax CKLN's Lawyer Paula Boutis

Attn. Ms Paula Boutis
Iler Campbell LLP
890 Yonge Street, Suite 700
Toronto, ON M4W 3P4

Telephone: 416 598 0103 x 117
Fax: 416 598 3484
E-mail: pboutis@ilercampbell.com
CC: Charles Campbell, E: ccampbell@ilercampbell.com
CC: Brian Iler, E: biler@ilercampbell.com

Ms Boutis:

I am adding my name to the following petition due to serious concerns about what is happening at CKLN 88.1 FM (Toronto, Canada). I understand that you are the lawyer currently representing CKLN and that you have stated that the non-student members of the Board which were legitimately removed by a valid Special General Meeting carried out by eligible members of CKLN Inc. on February 23, 2008 are still valid representatives of the station."

I am a supporter (student/volunteer/donor/ally) of CKLN and I have heard that you have not provided a legal statement backing your position on this matter. CKLN is undergoing tremendous upheaval as a result of several actions being directed at volunteer programmers who participated at the Special General Meeting and have been outspoken in their opposition to the current state of chaos, which governs this community radio station. I am disturbed and concerned over your behaviour as legal counsel secured by the monies, which these programmers and their community and student allies helped gather during the most recent fundraising drive.

I understand you have a professional and legal obligation to represent the station through its Board of Directors but you are currently failing to perform this duty as you are providing advice and representation to individuals who were dismissed and removed from their leadership positions months ago in a legitimate manner and in accordance to the bylaws which govern CKLN and its membership.

I ask of you to stop representing those persons who are illegally controlling the space, equipment, finances and programming of CKLN (Josie Miner, Tony Barnes, Mike Phillips, Doug Barrett) and recognize the legitimately elected volunteer and community reps - Arnold Minors, Geoff MacDonald, Heather Douglas, Ron Nelson, Conrad Collaco - and the board which they have formed with backing and support of the membership of this beloved and well-respected community and campus radio station.

Sincerely,

Press Release: Volunteers Locked Out of CKLN Without Explanation

Dismissed Staff Members Disregarding Democratic Process

TORONTO, ON, May 8, 2008 --- At least a dozen CKLN volunteer programmers received letters from Mike Phillips this week, discharging them from the station.

“Please be advised that your volunteer services at CKLN Radio Inc are no longer required
[sic] effective immediately,” read the form letter. Phillips gave no explanation in the letter.

When longtime CKLN volunteer Verlia Stephens went to the studio Wednesday morning, she was escorted out by Ryerson security. Stephens hosts Limin’ in De African Diaspora every Wednesday from 11 AM to 2 PM. Stephens says Tony Barnes responded, “It is complicated,” when asked why security was booting her out and how the appeal process works. “The security guards were really uncomfortable because they knew I had every right to ask,” says Stephens.

Barnes, the former interim program director, along with former interim station manager Phillips, and former board members Josie Miner, Doug Barrett and Heather Morgan were dismissed by a membership vote on February 23, 2008. Over 140 community, volunteer and student members attended the emergency meeting in February. More than 90 per cent voted to dismiss the interim station manager and interim program director and impeach the non-student members of the board.

More recently, Morgan tendered her resignation. The other members in question, will not, however, recognize the vote. They refuse to step down from their positions. Phillips and Barnes continue to control CKLN radio station and its funds illegally.

Other volunteers who are being shut out include: Omme Rahemtullah (Saturday Morning Live), David Barnard (Lowdown to Uptown), Sharron Mcleod (Dat Dere), Chloe Onari (Dat Dere), Dale Whitmore (Word of Mouth), Don Weitz (Anti-Psychiatry Radio), Susy Alvarez (Word of Mouth), Usheak Koroma (Word of Mouth and Sounds of Africa), Heather Douglas (Frameline), Farid Omar (Saturday Morning Live), Barbara Goslawski (Frameline), Carmelle Wolfson (Radio Cliteracy), Claudia McKoy (Upsurgence), and Black Krishna (Rude Awakening).

More volunteers are expecting letters in their inbox later this week. Phillips has also told members that if they did not sign the new volunteer contract within the one-week period given them, their access cards to the station would be de-activated. Many of those who received letters have signed this contract.

Phillips called a volunteer meeting last Tuesday to hold annual elections. Volunteer Usheak Koroma took over chairing duties after Phillips would not recognize the flood of comments from the floor. Elections were held. Heather Douglas and Ron Nelson (Reggaemania) were elected the new volunteer representatives and former station manager Conrad Collaco was elected to the former core staff post.

A committee of volunteers organized elections last Saturday, May 3 to vote in new community representatives. Community members voted unanimously to elect Arnold Minors and Geoffery MacDonald to the two posts.

Phillips and Barnes say they will not recognize the newly elected board members.