WA May lose Access 31?!? Help Save Access 31

Tue, 10 June 2008, 11:18 am

Labrug56 posts in thread

I recevied this email from Scott Hunt Managing Director ego creative media, producers of Wake Up! WA...

Hi all,
Those of who who are members of Access 31 will have received a letter last week notifying you of a member's meeting on June 27th and the board's intention to liquidate the station if a solid commitment and timeframe is not made by the Federal Government ensuring that Access 31 will be granted access to the digital spectrum.

We need to act to ensure the future of Access 31 by showing our support and letting Senator Stephen Conroy know that by not acting now WA will lose a valuable asset and will affect the lives of those involved in the local community TV sector.

Below is a sample letter. Feel free to copy it into a new email and send directly to Senator Conroy at senator.conroy@aph.gov.au

Please also cc it to Access 31 at reception@accesstvwa.com

Please also consider writing your own letter expressing what community TV means to you and how our community will be worse off without it.

It is important that you take the time to make an effort to SAVE OUR STATION. Please pass this onto as many people as you can.

Cheers, Scott

--- Message insert here

SAVE OUR STATION

Help ACCESS 31 Perth Go Digital

To the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy

Dear Minister,

Do not allow the Western Australian community to lose our valuable community asset - ACCESS 31 Community Television. The company has a limited window of opportunity to stave off liquidation. They must be given a commitment from the Federal Government for a digital future, before the 27th of June 2008.

Minister, please give ACCESS 31:

Access to digital spectrum
Legislative change to allow it to go digital
Time frame to go digital
Funding for the transition to digital

For nine years ACCESS 31 has provided a diverse local community television service which has grown in stature and now forms an integral part of the local community’s social fabric.

The many volunteers who have dedicated their time and effort to contribute to the service will no longer have the platform to gain vital experience in pursuing television and media careers. Many producers and hundreds of community groups will no longer have access to this service and their community.

Minister you must act now or ACCESS 31’s demise will see the loss of a valuable local community asset and will cause concern to the hundreds of thousands of viewers and thousands of people involved with the station and its programming.

[Insert your name and address]

D-Day for Access 31

Thu, 3 July 2008, 03:25 pm

Walter Plinge

Access 31 may stay afloat after financial lifeline By Andrea Mayes http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,23962444-5012990,00.html July 03, 2008 10:38am COMMUNITY television station Access 31 looks set to beat efforts to close it down after securing a lifeline of $500,000 from the private sector. A special member’s meeting last Friday called to decide whether to liquidate the station was adjourned until this afternoon, but Access CEO Andrew Brine told Perth Now things were looking positive for the station. “We already had a commitment of $250,000 from Lotterywest which was contingent on us sourcing another $500,000 from elsewhere, and that is what we’ve done,’’ he said. He said the money had come from the private sector but did not elaborate on who the donors were. The station has been heavily criticised by former members who allege it has been financially mismanaged for years. A statement of solvency filed with the Australian Securities and Investment Commission earlier this month showed it had debts of $721, 857 and just $17,164 cash. The station’s board is due to meet at 1pm today, followed by a member’s meeting at 2pm. Latest Comments: I wonder if there will be an UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT SIGN? According to the sums $750,000 - $721, 857debt and just $17,164 cash = approx $45,000. To last them how long?? It looks like it has been costing Access 31 approx $100,000 per month operationally. $300,000 received in December 2006 State Govt, and Andrew Brine publicly states in April 2007 "Access 31was due to close its doors, if it did not receive $600,000 from the State Govt." Do the Maths! Andrew Brine has already publicly stated on Jun 10 that $5 million was the only option to survival and this was because of the money needed to upgrade the station to digital because 42% audience was lost due to digital??? I wonder if the $500,000 is a loan (what is the interest rate? or a donation?, are Access 31 a registered charity so it is tax deductable?? They got a 3 year loan from a their own director in 2006 of around $65,000 at a high rate. The companies own Directors charge interest to a not - for - profit company???.Why are Access 31 so cagey about the "donors", surely the community would be proud to know who has saved their community station at the 11th Hour, once again. Posted by: Under New Management? of Perth 1:58pm today Looks the private investor just p*ssed his/her money up against the wall, just like the State Government and Lotterywest has over the past few years. These people CANNOT manage, yet people still throw money at them. What's the best PerthNow will be doing another story in a couple of years about Access 31 being in financial strife yet again? Is this organisation not accountable? Doesn't it have to publish annual reports and financial figures and so on? Has PerthNow even thought of using FOI to see where the financial problems may lie? Posted by: Samuel Tyler of West Perth 11:05am today

Thread (56 posts)

Threaded Flat

WA May lose Access 31?!? Help Save Access 31— Labrug10 June 2008

The compulsory switchover— Walter Plinge10 June 2008
- It's not about the switch over— Labrug10 June 2008
  - Dear Jeff Watkins— Walter Plinge10 June 2008
    - Rosie but not stupid— Labrug10 June 2008
      - ···
        Stupid is as stupid does— Walter Plinge10 June 2008
        ···
        UNION?!?— Labrug11 June 2008
Given how unhelpful they— Walter Plinge10 June 2008
- Bad Taste— Labrug10 June 2008
I have worked with the— Walter Plinge10 June 2008
- I don't know what it's like— Na10 June 2008
access 31— Walter Plinge10 June 2008
- Fred always wants someone— Walter Plinge11 June 2008
  - RESPONSE to Sammy Gee — Walter Plinge11 June 2008
  - Your comments are so far— Melz11 June 2008
  - Sammy Gee what can I say— Walter Plinge13 June 2008
Access will be closed— Walter Plinge11 June 2008
- This is the Thing— Labrug11 June 2008
Well can any one tell us— Walter Plinge11 June 2008
- The fact— Labrug11 June 2008
It's National— Labrug11 June 2008
Access TV Channel 31— Norma11 June 2008
Access31 and The Green Room— Walter Plinge11 June 2008
News Just In— Melz11 June 2008
Thats good news, then, so— Walter Plinge11 June 2008
What hapened to the— Walter Plinge12 June 2008
Access 31— Walter Plinge12 June 2008
- Nice spelling Fred. About— Walter Plinge12 June 2008
  - Lukey I think you need to— Walter Plinge13 June 2008
  - Sour Grapes— Walter Plinge13 June 2008
    - I suspect it's just someone— Walter Plinge13 June 2008
    - And of some us know the— Walter Plinge14 June 2008
    - For the record I wasn't— Walter Plinge30 Sept 2008
  - I didn't write the above— Walter Plinge30 Sept 2008
Access 31— Norma12 June 2008
- Some— Labrug12 June 2008
  - Ironic— Na12 June 2008
the above statement, we— Walter Plinge12 June 2008
- Ditto. I also live in— Skybe12 June 2008
Orion is a fool— Walter Plinge14 June 2008
Fred was also asked to— Walter Plinge14 June 2008
- Brian You Should Stop Lieing— Walter Plinge19 June 2008
  - No, Fred was continually— Walter Plinge19 June 2008
Access 31— Norma14 June 2008
At last... sense and sensibility— Taurean14 June 2008
- I think a lot of it stems— Walter Plinge14 June 2008
  - Thankyou Mr. "Stokes"— Taurean15 June 2008
well said, you tool the— Walter Plinge14 June 2008
Support For Fred— Walter Plinge19 June 2008
Focus on the issues— Labrug19 June 2008
Support For Fred— Walter Plinge19 June 2008
I support You Fred— Walter Plinge19 June 2008
We Love The Couch— Walter Plinge19 June 2008
New TV backers say stop pouring money into Access 31— Walter Plinge26 June 2008
D-Day for Access 31— Walter Plinge3 July 2008
- Access 31 HD— Walter Plinge3 July 2008

← Back to Billboard Bulletins