ty
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Panther
      Prints
     
    
   
   
    
     
      April
      2,
      1996
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Continuing
      Saga
      of
      CIMN
      and
      Student
      Union
     
    
   
   
    
     
      This
      past
      Sunday,
      Prince
     
     
      Edward
      Island’s
      only
      campus/
     
     
      community
      broadcaster
      found
      its
     
     
      fiscal
      stability
      threatened
      by
      a
     
     
      Student
      Council
      driven
      by
      personal
     
     
      politics
      and
      partisan
      vendettas.
      It
      is
     
     
      perhaps
      unsurprising
      in
      an
      environ-
     
     
      ment
      so
      charged
      with
      emotion
      and
     
     
      so
      empty
      of
      actual
      factual
      informa-
     
     
      tion
      that
      the
      Council
      voted
      to
     
     
      suspend
      funding
      for
      the
      station
     
     
      while
      at
      the
      same
      time
      professing
     
     
      continued
      support
      for
      the
      eventual
     
     
      goal
      of
      going
      FM.
     
    

    
     
      The
      case
      of
      CIMN
      could
     
     
      have
      a
      national
      impact
      if
      the
      volun-
     
     
      teers
      at
      the
      station
      are
      unable
      to
      find
     
     
      some
      other
      sources
      of
      funding.
      The
     
     
      Canadian
      Radio
      Television
      and
     
     
      Telecommunications
      Commission
     
     
      (CRTC),
      in
      what
      could
      be
      consid-
     
     
      ered
      an
      uncharacteristically
      gener-
     
     
      ous
      decision,
      has
      allowed
      University
     
     
      of
      Prince
      Edward
      Island
      Student
     
     
      Radio
      Inc,
      the
      not-for-profit
      com-
     
     
      pany
      which
      operates
      CIMN,
      to
     
     
      begin
      FM
      broadcasting
      before
     
     
      having
      sufficient
      funds
      to
      employ
      a
     
     
      full
      time
      station
      manager.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      meeting
      began
      at
      roughly
      ©
     
    
   
   
    
     
      7:00
      pm
      Sunday
      evening.
      The
     
     
      student
      executive,
      apparently
     
     
      anticipating
      trouble
      from
      the
      unruly
     
     
      hoards
      of
      CIMN
      supporters,
      had
     
     
      asked
      that
      campus
      security
      be
     
     
      present
      in
      case
      things
      got
      out
      of
     
     
      hand.
      The
      executive
      also
      immedi-
     
     
      ately
      moved
      to
      close
      the
      meeting
      to
     
     
      visitors,
      so
      that
      the
      students
      who
     
     
      had
      shown
      up
      to
      see
      democracy
      in
     
     
      action
      would
      be
      forced
      to
      leave.
      As
     
     
      the
      campus
      police
      edged
      closer,
     
     
      perhaps
      anticipating
      civil
      disobedi-
     
     
      ence
      from
      the
      anxious
      volunteers,
     
     
      the
      council
      narrowly
      voted
      to
      keep
     
     
      the
      meeting
      open.
      With
      that,
      the
     
     
      meeting
      immediately
      moved
      to
      the
     
     
      next
      item
      on
      the
      agenda,
      simply
     
     
      called
      CIMN.
     
    

    
     
      After
      several
      years
      of
      getting
     
     
      organized,
      CIMN-FM
      was
      granted
     
     
      permission
      to
      go
      FM
      last
      year
      by
     
     
      the
      CRTC.
      The
      station
      has
      been
     
     
      operating
      as
      an
      AM
      station
      since
      the
     
     
      1970s.
      In
      1982,
      accord
      to
      records
     
     
      of
      the
      Student
      Union,
      council
      voted
     
     
      to
      incorporate
      a
      not
      for
      profit
     
     
      company
      called
      "UPEI
      Student
     
     
      Radio,"
      and
      ownership
      of
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      equipment
      and
      license
      to
      broadcast
      was
     
     
      transferred
      to
      the
      new
      company.
      This
     
     
      particular
      piece
      of
      information
      is
      vitally
     
     
      important,
      for
      it
      is
      the
      main
      reason
      why
     
     
      the
      members
      of
      the
      executive
      moved
      to
     
     
      shut
      down
      the
      station,
      but
      at
      the
      same
     
     
      time
      may
      be
      the
      only
      reason
      the
      station
     
     
      may
      survive.
     
    

    
     
      After
      dispensing
      with
      the
      motion
     
     
      to
      close
      the
      meeting,
      the
      Speaker
      of
      the
     
     
      student
      council
      recognized
      Fidel
     
     
      Murphy,
      Vice-President
      External,
      who
     
     
      put
      forward
      the
      motion
      to
      cut
      all
      funding
     
     
      to
      CIMN
      for
      the
      following
      budget
      year.
     
     
      Murphy,
      and
      the
      president-elect,
      Chris
     
     
      Burns,
      then
      moved
      to
      the
      centre
      of
      the
     
     
      room,
      set
      up
      a
      podium,
      and
      began
      to
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      CIMN
      volunteer
      Lorne
      Caborn
      hosting
      his
      show
      "The
      Chronic"
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Radio,
      as
      described
      in
      the
      document
     
     
      registered
      with
      the
      Attorney
      General
      of
     
     
      PEI,
      is
      comprised
      of
      the
      four
      executive
     
     
      of
      the
      Student
      Union.
      The
      CIMN
      Radio
     
     
      constitution
      states
      that
      it
      is
      the
      VPI,
     
     
      VPF,
      Station
      Manager,
      a
      volunteer,
      and
     
     
      member
      at
      large.
      To
      further
      complicate
     
     
      things,
      the
      Board
      which
      is
      to
      manage
      the
     
     
      station
      under
      section
      7B
      of
      the
      Promise
     
     
      of
      Performance
      approved
      by
      the
      CRTC
     
    
   
   
    
     
      is
      structured
      completely
      differently
      from
      -
     
    
   
   
    
     
      either
      of
      these
      two.
      '
      ;
     
     
      Murphy
      and
      Burns
      maintained
     
    

    
     
      that
      CIMN’s
      management
      had
      misled
     
    

    
     
      the
      Student
      Union
      and
      the
      CRTC
      by
     
    
   
   
    
     
      submitting
      fraudulent
      documents.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Murphy
      stated
      that
      the
      Executive
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      present
      their
      case.
      Like
      a
      badly
      paro-
     
     
      died
      episode
      of
      Law
      and
      Order,
      they
     
     
      presented
      fact
      after
      damning
      fact,
      in
     
     
      their
      minds
      proving
      CIMN's
      guilt,
      when
     
     
      in
      truth,
      most
      of
      what
      concerned
      these
     
     
      counsellors
      was
      easily
      explained
      by
      a
     
     
      quick
      examination
      of
      the
      CRTC
      regula-
     
     
      tions,
      the
      Broadcast
      Act,
      the
      Companies
     
     
      Act
      of
      PEI,
      or
      often
      enough,
      the
      Student
     
     
      Union's
      own
      archives.
     
    

    
     
      The
      core
      of
      the
      "case"
      revolves
     
     
      around
      the
      actual
      management
      structure
     
     
      of
      the
      station,
      who
      controls
      the
      license,
     
     
      and
      why
      CIMN
      is
      both
      incorporated
      as
     
     
      a
      company
      and
      registered
      as
      a
      sub-
     
     
      organization
      under
      the
      Student
      Union's
     
     
      constitution,
      with
      a
      completely
      different
     
     
      set
      of
      by-laws.
      The
      CIMN
      Radio
      __
     
     
      society,
      legally,
      is
      a
      department
      of
      the
     
     
      company
      which
      is
      the
      Student
      Union,
     
     
      and
      for
      the
      last
      few
      years,
      CIMN
      has
     
     
      operated
      under
      this
      organizational
     
     
      structure.
      The
      Board
      of
      UPEI
      Student
     
    
   
   
    
     
      of
      the
      Student
      Union
      had
      no
      idea
      that
     
     
      they
      were
      members
      of
      the
      Board
      of
     
     
      UPEI
      Student
      Radio,
      and
      were
      con-
     
     
      cerned
      about
      liability.
      They
      stated
      that
     
     
      the
      Union
      had
      not
      been
      informed
      of
      the
     
     
      true
      cost
      and
      scope
      of
      change
      which
      was
     
     
      associated
      with
      going
      FM,
      and
      to
      top
      it
     
     
      all
      off,
      UPEI
      Student
      Radio
      required
     
     
      that
      all
      Board
      members
      be
      Canadian,
     
     
      and
      that
      "just
      isn't
      the
      way
      we
      do
      things
     
     
      in
      this
      country."
     
    

    
     
      Sometime
      in
      the
      late
      80s
      and
      early
     
     
      90s,
      something
      curious
      happened
      with
     
     
      many
      student
      and
      community
      organisa-
     
     
      tions
      all
      across
      this
      great
      country
      of
      |
     
     
      ours.
      Records
      were
      lost
      or
      destroyed.
     
     
      Rationales
      were
      forgotten,
      and
      long
      term
     
     
      goals
      set
      aside.
      Both
      student
      unions
      and
     
     
      radio
      stations
      did
      this,
      many
      also
      driving
     
     
      themselves
      deeply
      into
      debt
      at
      the
      same
     
     
      time.
      At
      some
      point
      around
      the
      turn
      of
     
     
      the
      decade,
      for
      some
      reason,
      most
      people
     
     
      involved
      with
      UPEI
      SU
      and
      CIMN
     
    
   
   
    
     
      forgot
      about
      the
      incorporated
      organiza-
     
     
      tion
      called
      UPEI
      Student
      Radio,
      or
      set
     
     
      it
      aside,
      and
      effectively
      managed
      it
      as
      a
     
     
      sub-organization,
      or
      department
      of
      the
     
     
      Union.
      It
      was
      not
      totally
      forgotten,
     
     
      however,
      because
      the
      Station
      Managers
     
     
      of
      CIMN
      continued
      to
      submit
      license
     
     
      applications
      under
      the
      name
      UPEI
     
     
      Student
      Radio,
      until
      on
      June
      8,
      1995,
     
     
      the
      organization
      was
      granted
      an
      FM
     
     
      license.
      hag
     
    

    
     
      Immediately
      following
      Murphy
     
     
      and
      Burn's
      presentation,
      Melissa
      Buote
      -
     
     
      -
      the
      Station
      Manager
      --
      and
      Waye
     
     
      Mason
      presented
      the
      facts
      as
      known
     
     
      them.
      The
      CRTC
      demands
      an
      all
     
     
      Canadian
      Board,
      thus
      the
      restrictions.
     
     
      The
      CRTC
      application
      said
      "the
      station
     
     
      will
      be
      run
      in
      such
      and
      such
      a
      way,"
      and
     
     
      ageneral
      meeting
      of
      UPEI
      Student
      _
     
     
      Radio
      was
      scheduled
      to
      make
      those
     
     
      changes
      on
      Monday.
      After
      those
     
     
      changes
      the
      station
      would
      be
      in
      compli-
     
     
      ance
      with
      its
      Promise
      of
      Performance.
     
     
      The
      station
      maintained
      that
      last
      year's
     
     
      station
      manager
      had
      submitted
      reports
      to
     
     
      the
      Student
      Union
      executive
      at
      least
     
     
      once
      a
      month,
      and
      Melissa
      produced
      a
     
     
      letter
      from:
      last
      years
      President
      of
      the
     
     
      Student
      Union,
      written
      to
      the
      CRTC,
     
     
      stating
      that
      the
      Union
      would
      pay
      to
      for
     
     
      the
      station
      to
      go
      FM.
      ‘I
      pointed
      out
      that
      —
     
     
      the
      Student
      Union's
      own
      archives
     
     
      showed
      that
      the
      Student
      Union
      had
     
     
      created
      UPEI
      Student
      Radio,
      and
      if
      the
     
     
      Student
      Union
      Executive
      hadn't
      know
     
     
      that
      it
      was
      on
      the
      Board
      of
      UPEI
      Stu-
     
     
      dent
      Radio,
      then
      they
      had
      a
      staff
      or
     
     
      record
      keeping
      problem
      they
      need
      to
      fix,
     
     
      and
      besides,
      not-for-profit
      company
     
     
      Board
      members
      are
      generally
      not
      held
     
     
      liable
      in
      the
      same
      way
      a
      private
      com-
     
     
      pany
      Board
      may
      be.
     
    

    
     
      Murphy
      and
      Burns
      fought
      back
     
     
      angrily.
      The
      Red
      Book,
      the
      briefing
      and
     
     
      business
      plan
      created
      by
      CIMN
      to
     
     
      reassure
      UPEI
      Student
      Union
      of
      the
     
     
      legal
      and
      fiscal
      soundness
      of
      the
      FM
     
     
      plan,
      had
      become
      a
      weapon
      used
      to
      shut
     
     
      the
      station
      down.
      Unfortunately,
      the
     
     
      Red
      Book
      contained
      references
      to
      a
      copy
     
     
      of
      the
      CIMN
      Radio
      constitution,
      and
      the
     
     
      new
      Station
      Manager
      was
      not
      as
      famil-
     
     
      iar
      with
      the
      ins
      and
      outs
      of
      the
      legal
     
     
      situation
      as
      Amanda
      Hill,
      the
      former
     
     
      station
      manager
      who
      resigned
      in
      protest
     
     
      in
      January.
      Murphy
      and
      Burns
      stated
      it
     
     
      was
      clear
      that
      CIMN
      was
      misleading
      the
     
     
      Union,
      and
      was
      hiding
      the
      nature
      of
      their