Triple H FM
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| Broadcast area | Lower & Upper North Shore |
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| First air date | July 22, 2001 |
| Frequency | 100.1 MHz FM |
| Format | Top 40, Pop, Rock, Alternative |
| Owner | 2HHH FM Limited |
Triple H FM is a Community radio station located in Sydney, Australia. It services the Hornsby Shire and the Kuring-Gai Municipality. Triple H runs on a general community licence and is required to provide content most suited to its own population and minority groups. Membership is open to all members of the community.
Please note the information provided has been supplied by members and directors of 2HHH FM Limited.
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[edit] History
2HHH FM began in at the end of 1999 and beginning of 2000 with a community group called "The Friends of Community Radio", This group was led by Shane Cook and involve many people from the community. Friends of Community Radio believed that the area was not being serviced adequately by the existing community radio station North FM.
2HHH FM is a community radio station run by a company limited by guarantee. Triple H was to provide a radio alternative, while aspiring to become 'the complete' community radio station solution.
When the Australian Broadcasting Authority reissued application for a permanent broadcasting licence in 2000 for the Hornsby / Kuring-gai area, the vision of the group was for a well run community station that was able to get behind the community and provide a voice for the community.
The members led by Shane Cook assembled a presenter team, physically built the studio and prepared the programs and production for the aspirant transmissions Triple H scouted around the local businesses for transmitters and broadcasting gear that they did not already possess. They had to complete the task of getting a studio to air in six months.
They asked local business people to donate computers, compressors, transmitters, microphones, and made an application to Council for the use of the North FM antenna that was supplied by the Council.
By December, 2000, Triple H was on air. The new station caused a stir in the community due to its professional sound and attractive programming. The number of listeners soon grew as people began to realise that for the first time the community possessed the possibility of a real community radio station. Members struck out in the community with publicity and advertising. Banners, T-shirts, hand bills delivered to houses, newspaper articles, and before launch day an Open Day and barbecue, where people from the community were welcomed to view the new community resource.
[edit] Beginning the Downfall
Within the Directorship was a small group claiming to have donated excessive amounts of cash, time and the venue for the broadcasting studio. This was done while turning down more viable alternatives for a community radio station. The Christian backed Directors plotted against the founding Director (and first members of Triple H) Shane Cook, formally suspended him by vote in August 2001 without providing any evidence of the claims that were made against him and giving no right of reply to membership. This was unfortunately the start of a bad precedence at Triple H.
[edit] Rebuilding the Studio
In September 2001 the studio of Triple H was rebuilt by broadcast engineer David Baker in the hope that it would fire up a new spirit in the community radio.
[edit] The Rot Sets In
Over the next few years members of the station fought hard to get the station moving and systems in place to build the fledgling station but were hamstrung by an ineffectual Board of directors that had very little experience in broadcast radio. This same board rapidly became referred to as "the Black Hole" led by Chairman Denis Jenkins a sermon and CEO Don McNicol Don's Web Site due to their failure to lead the station forward through poor management and last minute decisions.
[edit] The Rift
In November 2005 a rift developed at the board level in which the position of chairman was challenged, the financial solvency of the Radio Station was not able to be shown and the membership disillusionment was at its highest.
The Chairman Denis Jenkins was in panic mode with the challenges on his credibility to lead the company, on the validity of his and other Directors financial claims on the company and on his inability over the last four years to drive the business forward. To counter the directors that where challenging him he used the same tactics that saw the founding director (Shane Cook) ejected from the membership.
[edit] The Process:
The first step is to create false accusations against the member/director then rally a small number of members to spread these accusations. As questions are being asked by the general member, most of whom barley know any other member, a complaint will be written to the board on the person being targeted. This will then followed by misinformation at a board level with a vote shortly after, this will usually be an emotional vote.
The vote will usually require a written warning to be sent or the membership to be cancelled. This letter will never be sent so that there is no paper trail but the station manager,and select members will be aware of the decision and will make it difficult for that person to return. In the case of a director the slander match will usually be orchestrated on to the membership so that the majority of the members will vote against that director.
[edit] The Resignations
In an unprecedented act on January 10th 2006 Denis Jenkins and four other directors resigned just after accusing two directors of intimidating his office manager. At the board meeting two directors resigned then accusations were laid on the two accused directors who were given no opportunity to defend the claims. The final three directors resigned stating a lack of confidence in the two remaining directors due to the fact they were questioning the above process for suspending an invalid pensioner as a member from the station.
At the same time the station was in the middle of its reapplication for its five year licence.
[edit] Reapplication
The 2005 AGM was to be held in November 2005 but for the second year running had to be extended to February 2006 due to the company financial records not being prepared as major inconsistencies had been found in all previous statements.
In the 2005 AGM the remaining Directors refused to sign off on the financial statements which were stated as being false and inaccurate. They accused the Company Secretary Denis Jenkins of trying to hold a strangle hold on the finances of Triple H's bank account.
At an illegal general meeting comprising of new members and supporters of Denis Jenkins the final members on the board were voted out. The members lead by the station manager and previous director reinstated the resigned directors.
In march 2006 the newly elected chairman John Snelson resigned after asking the Company Secretary/Director Denis Jenkins to see the financial records and being refused, the chairman stating "If I can't see them then who the hell can". This also lead to a number of other directors resigning for similar reasons.
ACMA News Release July 2006 saw Triple H regain its licence under a list of conditions from the ACMA. Triple H currently has a number of investigation being carried out on the company. A number of civil claims have been made on the company. And the membership is even more disillusioned.
[edit] Poor Behaviour
Triple H now has a proven history of poor behaviour and treatment of members, over the last five years Triple H has gained a reputation of low membership, poor moral, and a secret service style board with very little interest in the general community. They have now received the title of the community radio with the lowest community membership in the history of Australian community radio. This has been stated by the Australian Communication and Media Authority.
[edit] The Truth
Triple H has a great group of people working together to move the station forward. There have been many new programs on air to cater to different community groups, including but not limited to; computer and Internet show, Australian music (signed and unsigned) elderly groups and many others. The morale has never been better and it is unfortunate that people do not see what happens behind the scenes. Many community links are being improved upon with Scouting groups having toured the station. Triple H is for the community of Hornsby and Kuring-gai, feedback is always welcomed.
[edit] External links
Full Power FM: 2MAC 91.3 | 2MFM 92.1 | 2ABC 92.9| 2LND 93.7 | 2FBI 94.5 | 2PTV 95.3| Edge 96.1| Nova 96.9 | 2SBS 97.7 | 2TFM 98.5 | 2WS 101.7/99.1/88.3 | 2MBS 102.5 | 2CBA 103.2 | 2DAY 104.1 | 2MMM 104.9 | 2JJJ 105.7 | MIX 106.5 | 2SER 107.3
Community FM: 2RDJ 88.1(Burwood) | 2RRR 88.5(Ryde) | 2RSR 88.9(Inner Sydney) | 2BLU 89.1(Katoomba) | 2GLF 89.3(Liverpool) | 2WCR 89.7(Waverly) | 2VTR 89.9(Hawkesbury) | 2NBC 90.1(Narwee) | 2MWM 88.7/90.3(Manly) | 2CCR 90.5(Cumberland) | 2NSB 99.3 (North Shore)| 2SSR 99.7(Sutherland) | 2SWR 99.9 (Blacktown) | 2HHH 100.1(Hornsby) | 2MCR 100.3(Campbelltown) | 2WOW 100.7(Penrith) | 2BFM 100.9(Bankstown)
Narrowcast FM: Kick 87.6 (Penrith) | Radio Austral 87.6/87.8 | Cool Country Radio 88.0/88.7 (Glenbrook, Katoomba, Mt Razorback) | Bondi FM 88 | Raw FM (Nthn Beaches)
