A radio station in the NSW regional town of Goulburn is facing financial issues after it was found it had failed to pay a number of the young acts it had pulled together for a local music event, as the Goulburn Post reports.
Billed as the Eagle FM Mini Day Out, held at Victoria Park on March 30th, the one-day small-scale festival was aimed at entertaining a younger audience and launched to mark Goulburn’s 150th Birthday celebrations.
Booked to play were Triple J Unearthed act People’s Palace, reality TV stars Lachlan Cosgrove, Altiyan Childs, X Factor contestant Tyrone Georgiardis, Kathryn Hartnett, DJ Shane Burgess, and a host of local acts.
Come the Monday following the Friday Mini Day Out however, and Eagle FM were facing claims that they had yet to settle accounts with a local photographer covering the event and the 18-year old reality TV star, Georgiardis.
The X Factor contestant’s manager, Alex Reid, had told The Goulburn Post that his client was still owed the $800 fee from the station. “He’s a struggling musician and now he is out of pocket,” said Mr. Reid, noting how Tyrone travelled to the event from Sydney out of his own pocket to perform a four-song set and a meet and greet with fans on the sum allegedly promised in a verbal agreement with Eagle FM Program Director Dene Broadbelt.
Mr Reid and the booking agent filed an invoice to Mr Broadbelt with the station the day following the concert. After a week of radio silence, Mr Reid alleges that h received an email stating they had already been paid for the appearance.
“Sorry I haven’t been able to get back to you sooner, I have been flat chat and will be for the next 20 days,” read the email. “My personal accountant has advised that payment was made on Monday of this week. Could you please confirm his bank account information for me to cross reference with her to double check there was no error in bank account information.” Management claimed the radio station was refusing to pay for the singer’s appearance because they were not financially responsible for the event, despite the Mini Day Out being branded as an Eagle FM event.
Following further correspondence with the station’s general manager Gail Bowden about Georgiardis’ missing performance fee, management were allegedly told that Mr Boradbelt had acted on his own, not on the company’s behalf. Management claimed the radio station was refusing to pay for the singer’s appearance because they were not financially responsible for the event, despite the Mini Day Out being branded as an Eagle FM event on air and in promotional material.
“(Mr Broadbelt) was the program director for the radio station and he was acting on their behalf so the radio station has to be liable for it,” said Mr Reid.
A local photographer, promised $350 for shooting the event, also made contact with Goulburn Radio management after his payment had failed to clear also.
The following week, Station Manager Gail Bowden agreed to settle both accounts while announcing that Mr Broadbelt’s employment was terminated, but wouldn’t comment on the reason, while the former Program Director disputes he resigned due to family issues.
Commenting on Mr Broadbelt’s termination, the Ms Bowden said that the Eagle FM Mini Day Out “was a Goulburn Mulwaree Council event and a Youth Council event. It was not an Eagle FM event other than we were supporting it. It was not held by, funded by or managed by Eagle FM. We had naming rights but we weren’t financially responsible.”
“Dene Broadbelt engaged these services without the permission of Goulburn Radio or Eagle FM but we just want to make sure these artists get what they are owed because they did it in good faith with our program director. So we’re making payment,” she added.
Speaking to The Goulburn Post, Mr Broadbelt says he had promised to pay both the X Factor performer and photographer but that it was on the proviso that it would be out of his own pocket, aware that the event had no budget from the radio station, but that he had made Georgiardis’ management aware of that fact.
“I clearly stated to Andrew (Blackwood) on the phone that he had to bill me directly because it was a free event and it wasn’t to do with the station,” he said. “He’s a struggling musician and now he is out of pocket.” – Alex Reid, Manager
Since his departure from Eagle FM, Radio Info reveals that after speaking with members of the broadcasting industry, that Dene Broadbelt has left a string of jobs for major networks – including Southern Cross Austereo, Grant, and the Super Network – “on bad terms, and in many cases leaving a trail of unpaid bills.”
In response to his potted employment history, Mr Broadbelt told the website: “As far as I know I left all my previous stations on good terms,” adding, “I left due to medical issues. I spoke to one previous [Program Director] this week and he didn’t say anything.”
Reaching out to Eagle FM’s Gail Bowden for comment on the Mini Day Out fall-out, the Station Manager told Radio Info: “In essence, when Dene did what he did he broke his contract because he wasn’t supposed to accrue any costs to the station (over the event) in his role.”
:He did that and that’s why he was terminated,” she said. “He did not at any point resign and we have not had any communication with him, except where he was demanding his final pay.”
But Mr Broadbent insists, “I left radio Goulburn on my own behalf.” Adding he was prepared to pay the bills for the photographer and X Factor alumni’s set, an approximate total of $2,150 according to Ms Bowden, but added: “I’m still waiting for money myself from Radio Goulburn… I have written to them and I’m still waiting on unpaid salary. They have not answered my correspondence yet.”
