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SAVE NEW STYLE RADIO : Birmingham and the UK's first legal African Caribbean Community Radio Station, New Style Radio 98.7fm has been compromised and faces the serious threat of having it's licence revoked, the threat stems from the unstability of the trust who currently hold the licence - the board of directors at the Afro Caribbean Millennium Cente, 339 Dudley Road, Winson Green, Birmingham B18 4HB - The instability even threatens the Afro Caribbean Millennium Centre itself. There's lots of complexities surrounding the issue and you can either read about the controversial incident that sparked public interest in the issue or watch the BBC Midlands Today news article, on the articles page of this website. OVERVIEW : It's difficult to surmise the issues because they're multiple, however the basis is this. The parent company of New Style Radio is the Afro Caribbean Millennium Centre and for three-and-a-half years the centre has been loss making (current deficit £90,000) and for those three-and-a-half years the ACMC has been sustained by the profit making radio station. The radio station has been maintained by dedicated staff since it's inception in 2002 and between 2002 and 2006 the ACMC WAS meeting it's own annual targets up until the board staged a coup d'etat on itself and ousted the very board members and Chief Executive who were responsible for meeting those targets - ever since then, this current incarnation of the board have not been able to run the centre efficiently or effectively and have relied almost exclusively on the radio station for survival. RUN EFFICIENTLY the Afro Caribbean Millennium Centre should easily turnover in excess of £100,000 per year - if not more as it used to do under the previous board regime but you can see for yourself from the last set of official accounts that the ACMC filed with Companies House for the financial year ending 31st March 2009, that the ACMC only generated a meagre £16,657 - barely enough to pay it's utilities bill. New Style Radio by contrast generated nearly five times as much £77,065 which is ample enough to pay the staff salaries, the radio station overheads and still have enough to re-invest back into the radio station - which is what supposed to happen under the terms and conditions of a community radio licence. Be mindful that 'community radio' is the "NOT FOR PROFIT" sector of radio and all profits are supposed to go back into the radio station. THIS PATTERN OF DECLINE in the ACMC's finances coincides with the board upheaval in 2006/2007. The board ousted the then Chairman and Chief Executive who up until that time was doing a fine job of meeting the ACMC's annual targets but ever since this incarnation of the board took over, they've not been able to make the centre profitable and one would have to ask whether that's as a result of ineptitude, incapacity, inability or docility - either way, they've proved that they're not up to the job and this is why we're asking you to sign our online petition if you're concerned about the welfare or the future of the ACMC and/or New Style Radio. You can also visit the ACMC Membership page to see how you can effect the democratisation of the ACMC board. AFTER THE INCIDENT that led to the troubles at the ACMC and New Style Radio being exposed to the public, the make-up of the board of the ACMC has changed again. The Chairman, Wesley Hall who had no prior knowledge that his two fellow board members, Phillip Murphy and Alton Burnett had conspired to usurp the radio station by locking out and ejecting the radio staff has since resigned, this leaves the board of the ACMC being totally dominated by the usurpers, Phillip Murphy - who has taken over the chairmanship and Alton Burnett who is the vice-chair. WITHOUT PREJUDICE it's safe to presume that the ACMC and New Style Radio may well face a bleak future in the charge of these men, only last year, April 2009 another African Caribbean centre that these same two were directors of was wound up in the High Court, The Camp Lane Development Company, Handsworth, Birmingham was declared insolvent. It could also be argued that Phillip Murphy doesn't even have the moral authority to sit on the board of any charitable trust. After the board coup in 2006/2007, the regulator for charitable trusts, The Charities Commission was called in to investigate the financial affairs of the ACMC and Mr Murphy was suspended for serious breaches of financial control - he was caught red-handed trying to destroy evidence of cheques that he had made payable to himself with the ACMC's company cheque book. He was also ordered to pay back £30,000 to the charity for money that was paid to him by the ACMC unconstitutionally - to this day nobody knows whether that money has been repatriated. MORAL DILEMMA: The heart of the story is laid bare on this website and you can see all the unequivocal evidence for yourselves so ask yourself the question, would you trust the last significant African Caribbean Trust in Birmingham in the hands of these men? If your answer is no, then please help us to root them out by either signing our online petition and/or by helping to democratize the ACMC board by applying to become a member of the organisation.
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