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Former hosts barge in at CKLN, disrupt plans to save station

Campus radio station CKLN is seeking audience support to convince the government to help them stay on-air.

CKLN staff met on Apr. 1 to discuss their plans for a Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) hearing that could result in having their license revoked. The hearing is set for May 12.

The station has set up a Facebook page with a link to the CRTC where members and fans of CKLN can show their support though oral and written submissions.

“People are very excited and if we keep having productive meetings like we did than things should work out great,” said CKLN treasurer Mike Harnett, about people’s views towards the upcoming hearing.

Some of the radio hosts also agreed to draft up an on-air support piece to draw attention and support from the public.

But the meeting turned into a standoff when two former radio hosts barged in uninvited. Both former hosts, Greg Duffell and Daniel Besharat, sat down in the middle of the meeting and refused to leave after politely being asked to leave several times.

Duffell and Besharat are expected to participate in the hearing to voice their opinions about why the station should have its license revoked.

“They are trying to poke holes in our plans and they just come in and disrupt,” said CKLN host Bill Watson, about the station’s ongoing troubles with the former hosts.

Security was called in to remove Duffell and Besharat.

The two eventually left after a long and often chaotic argument.

CKLN board members will have to demonstrate to the CRTC that they have resolved the previous issues that landed them in trouble.

“Everything the CRTC is putting on us is about the old administration,” said CKLN secretary Andrew Lehrer.


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