Lion king abdicates
THE president of Melbourne Jewish Radio-Lion FM (MJR) made good on his threats to resign last week.
THE president of Melbourne Jewish Radio-Lion FM (MJR) made good on his threats to resign last week.
John Kraus stepped down from the role last Wednesday, just hours after a court action was launched by other members of the executive in a bid to prevent a special general meeting being held at which the future of the station would be discussed.
In a resignation letter sent to his former Lion colleagues, Kraus said: “I have over the past few weeks attempted to ensure that the existing difficulties and problems associated with issues relating to transparency and corporate governance at Melbourne Jewish Radio are addressed and rectified.
“Regrettably, all my efforts and those of the presidents of the Jewish Community Council of Victoria and the Zionist Council of Victoria, specifically our attempt to genuinely and unconditionally open the membership of MJR and make it a community asset embracing the diverse range of interests existing in the Melbourne Jewish community, have failed.”
Kraus is the second president to quit Lion in just nine months. Michael Lipshutz stepped down in October amid similar rumours of rifts with fellow board members over the way the station was being run.
Kraus added: “I am hopeful that my successor will be more successful in ensuring that the affairs of MJR are conducted openly and in strict compliance with all regulatory and other requirements and for the benefit of all sectors of Melbourne’s vibrant Jewish community.”
JCCV president John Searle, who has previously voiced concerns over Lion’s governance, expressed his fears for the station’s future.
“It is unfortunate that in a relatively short period of time, two presidents of Lion FM have seen fit to resign,” he said.
“We can only hope that Lion FM gets its house in order promptly, as it would be dreadful if the radio licence is lost as a result of poor or mismanagement.”
In a statement issued by Searle and ZCV president Sam Tatarka last week, the pair also said they were dismayed that executive members had brought lawyers into the picture. “It is extraordinary to think that attempts by members to convene a meeting to discuss serious concerns would be thwarted by court action initiated by other members of the same organisation.”
The court action was brought on the grounds that Kraus and other members hadn’t followed the correct procedures in convening the SGM and it was therefore unconstitutional.
The statement from Searle and Tatarka went on to urge the committee of Lion FM “to open the station to the community it is intended to serve” and to “rectify the governance and other issues that have plagued the station since inception”.
The station’s vice-president, Menachem Khoen, told The AJN: “The MJR committee has accepted John Kraus’s resignation.
“The committee is continuing with the membership drive and is implementing a policy of continuous improvement to our operations.
“We look forward to ensuing that MJR will be a social asset and will provide a voice to the Jewish community of Melbourne.”
ZEDDY LAWRENCE
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