BATTLES continue to rage over who held the initial broadcast licence for embattled Western Australian community television station Channel 31, an argument that could prove pivotal in the station’s administration and at least one court action against it.
However, there are hopes that some of the issues between Channel 31 and content provider CTV Perth can be resolved if a meeting brokered by the station’s administrator, Melsom Robson partner George Lopez, goes ahead.
Channel 31 managing director Andrew Brine said the original licence had been held by an organisation called the WA Community Broadcasters Association and then been transferred to Channel 31 when it had gone to air.
However, CTV Perth chairman Glen Darlington insists that the licence was originally granted to CTV Perth and Mandurah Community Television and held by the WACBA.
“CTV held the licence beneficially on behalf of CTV and the Mandurah group,” he said.
Australian Broadcasting Authority records show that both could be right.
ABA media and public relations manager Donald Robertson said Channel 31’s original licence holders had been the WACBA, Mandurah Community TV and CTV Perth.
“When we reported to the Minister [in 1999] CTV Perth was yet to start broadcasting but Mandurah CommunityTV had broadcast some local events,” he said.
Mr Darlington said CTV Perth had signed an agreement with Channel 31 signing the licence over to the station.
He said this agreement had included CTV’s right to have four members on the station’s board, something that Mr Brine has disputed.
CTV has lodged a Supreme Court writ seeking nearly $600,000 it claims it is owed by Channel 31.
Mr Brine said that CTV Perth had never sent Channel 31 an invoice.
Mr Darlington said there had been provisions set out in the broadcast agreement for how CTV would be remunerated and that there was no need for it to invoice Channel 31.
The CTV legal action – and another lodged by Media Arts Group director Gordon Inglis for $22 million relating to a breached contract relating to a television show for the WA Trotting Association – forced Channel 31’s directors to put the company into voluntary administration.
There have been concerns expressed by some stakeholders in the station that its collapse could signal the end of community television in Perth.
This may not be the case, however.
Mr Robertson said Channel 31 was operating on an interim narrowcast licence and was yet to be awarded a permanent one.
In December the Federal Parliament passed legislation allowing community television stations to apply for permanent broadcast licences.
Mr Robertson said the ABA was putting together application guidelines for whoever would be interested in applying for a permanent community TV licence.
He said the ABA should be calling for those applications soon.
Mr Darlington said CTV Perth had decided against blocking Mr Lopez’s application to act as administrator for Channel 31.
p Last week WA Business News reported CFM Productions Pty Ltd director Ross McDonald as claiming that Mr Inglis had been unable to meet production deadlines for the trotting association show.
Mr Inglis has denied the claim.
“Mr McDonald is wrong in saying that my company and I could not meet deadlines,” he told WA Business News.
