CFRC and the AMS Board of Directors are at odds after a disagreement over the campus radio station’s management structure. The situation shows the Board’s tendency to overstep its role without soliciting necessary input.

CFRC currently has three equal managerial positions that are available to full-time or part-time students. Currently, two non-students are working in managerial positions.

CFRC managers approached the Board with the hopes of altering the station’s structure to include a fourth management position.

Each position can be held for up to three years. Since 2008, CFRC has been exempt from standard AMS yearly turnover rates.

Instead of making the changes proposed by CFRC, the Board suggested the creation of a head manager position with three assistant positions. The Board is proposing to make the positions available only to full-time students for a one-year term.

On Thursday, Board passed a motion to table discussions on the matter until March 1.

Rather than proposing unilateral changes, the AMS needs to consult CFRC and the individuals who comprise it. The station is budgeted to run a $10,000 deficit this year and needs a strategy to combat financial uncertainty. With 40 per cent of CFRC’s revenue coming from a $4.93 mandatory AMS fee, the station is obligated to be financially sustainable.

But CFRC employees and volunteers are the ones who know the station’s operations best. They should ultimately decide CFRC’s future.

The Board’s proposal would bring CFRC in line with other campus media outlets but that’s not necessarily a good thing. Radio is a specialized medium that requires a diverse range of technical skills. Running a 24-hour station is a significant time commitment and involves navigating both local concerns and national regulations.

The expertise and time required of a CFRC manager may not be conducive to a full-time student lifestyle. Allowing people to hold the same position for multiple years is to CFRC’s advantage.

CFRC is a part of Queen’s as well as the Kingston community at large. The station offers its student volunteers a unique experience and contributes positively to the Queen’s community. It would be a loss for everyone if the station suffered because of financial shortcomings.

The Board of Directors exists to liaise with media services, not to take control and impose changes. CFRC and the Board need to work in tandem to repair the financial problems CFRC faces.

Financial viability is important for media services, but there’s no justification for a unilateral overhaul by the AMS.