By Dick Snyder
Controversy has reared its head at the Ryerson-based community radio station CKLN. Last month four members of the “core staff”—station manager, two news directors and programme director—resigned citing a working atmosphere which they called uncomfortable and even dangerous.
The story begins early in February, when two people complained to station management that a member of CKLN’s core staff (made up of five managers) uttered verbal threats against a station volunteer. Because CKLN has no grievance procedures outlining how such complaints should be addressed, the core staff began to draft a document and brought their plan of action to their board.
Information about this board meeting is vague. Sections of the meeting were held “in camera” meaning the minutes are not available to the public and no one present can talk to the media about anything that was said. But sources who wish to remain nameless say that the core members’ concern were not taken seriously.
According to partial minutes obtained by The Eyeopener, the core members were asked to leave the room while the board examined other issues and a counter complaint by another core member. A few minutes later, News Director Alok Sharma brought a letter of resignation to the board signed by himself, Programme Director Vashti Persad and Co-News director Iliana Sztainbok. Station Manager Carrianne Leung then added her name to the document.
Part of that letter reads: “We find it intolerable that when faced with a complaint dealing with violence against women is (sic) presented to the Board of Directors, there is hesitation to deal with the issue in an expedient and appropriate manner, for fear of losing “reputation” and the legal repercussions. We feel this is not a safe work environment for us or any woman.”
Insiders have said the resignations are the result of problems endemic to the station; problems that have been building up over many of the stations 11 years. CKLN has always been an unbashedly left-leaning station, promoting the marginalized voices of the community and fighting for the underdog. A politicized organization quite naturally will have political problems. But what happens at many such institutions is that certain agenda-driven people get ahold of the reigns of power and run with them, giving little thought of accountability for their actions. This causes morale problems at all levels, and may account for CKLN’s difficulties in keeping volunteers.
At a six-hour staff meeting attended by more than 50 station volunteers on Feb. 22, there was much debate over an eight-page letter drafted by the station’s former management outlining CKLN’s problems. The letter was sent to the board, which refused to release it to staff and volunteers without written consent from the writers. Consent was given last week in the form of a faxed letter to the board. But as of yesterday, CKLN’s interim management was not making the letter available to staff or the press.
An organization which purports to support open dialogue with the community and which vilifies the establishment and the power elite for shrinking from outside scrutiny should know that stonewalling invites suspicion. And if the station expects to progress beyond political in-fighting and personal accusations in the near future, those in charge are going to have to take a long hard look at what the station slogan “In Love and Struggle” really means.
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