Sydney-based community broadcaster Radio Skid Row 88.9FM has breached community participation rules in the Broadcasting Services Act 1992, following the dismissal of a volunteer presenter.
An Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) investigation found that the station failed to follow its own disciplinary procedure when it dismissed the presenter without giving the person clear reasons for the dismissal or offering them a right of appeal.
The ACMA found that the content of Radio Skid Row's policies and procedures did not restrict participation on political or cultural grounds. However, the station's failure to follow its disciplinary procedure left the presenter believing they were dismissed for their political and cultural views.
The ACMA found that the presenter's dismissal also contributed to a broader perception that there were barriers to participation within the station based on political and cultural beliefs.
A second investigation into complaints about Radio Skid Row's on-air content did not find breaches of the community broadcasting codes of practice.
Authority Member Carolyn Lidgerwood said that community radio plays a unique and important role contributing to an inclusive, cohesive and diverse Australian society.
"In this role, community radio stations also have a responsibility to encourage broad participation from the communities they serve. This is particularly important when the community radio station is serving a wide and diverse community such as Radio Skid Row is," Ms Lidgerwood said.
"When stations fail to follow their own disciplinary procedures, it can create barriers to participation and discourage community involvement. This is the opposite of what community broadcasting is intended to achieve."
Radio Skid Row has accepted the ACMA's findings and taken steps to improve its processes around disciplinary action and people management. The station has utilised Fair Work resources to improve the way it manages members and volunteers, reviewed its policies and procedures to make them clearer, and clarified the programming committee's role in managing conflicts.
The station will also implement training on policies and procedures for all new and existing volunteers and members and train its board members and management on risk, psychosocial hazards and privacy obligations.
Radio Skid Row has agreed to provide the ACMA with reports on its progress on implementing these measures and also to report to the ACMA about any disciplinary actions it takes in 2026 and 2027.
