Community radio or television stations are the perfect mediums for people who are denied a voice in the mainstream media.

The voice of the community is a very powerful instrument when used in its original form to raise awareness to the problems and concerns such as community arts ,theatre, democracy and the desemination of news. Poverty, homelessness and oppression should also be given a berth. It should embrace every aspect of our communities and the people that live and work in it.

Channel 31 was an excellent example of this until recent times. This community station used to provide its viewers with an eclectic range of programmes that inform and educate those who have grown to love its diverse content.

There is also irrefutable evidence of the community media promoting awareness and celebration of all things involved in life changing situations that we sometimes feel frustrated about achieving.

Imagine my surprise last Wednesday after watching an excellent programme on channel 31 involving the work of trade unions over the last hundred or so years in the proud coal mining town of Wonthaggi in Victoria. The Union Show promoted every thing I would expect in a community television programme, committment, spirit ,involvement ,pride in your community etc etc all the principles once espoused when channel 31 was established.

What followed was the voice and face of L.Ron Hubbard the exalted creator and god like figure of the Scientology sect promoting and brain washing all those haplesly watching at the time. I continued to watch and listen in amazement hoping that channel 31, true to its charter was doing an expose of this obnoxious sect .

The longer I watched and the longer I listened was to prove fruitless as I realised that this once great channel  31 had been compromised or even infiltrated by this insidious sect .

Protesting at the earliest opportunity next morning only to be told that this sect was part of our community and therefore worthy of air time on the channel.

Posing the question about the involvement of this sect in our communities the channel could not elaborate except to say that as a religion they were entitled to some form of religious expression. I could not agree more ,freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom to conduct our lives without undue impediment and freedom of movement are the tenets our society are based on .Freedom of religion should not extend to bogus and extreme cults

Where is this religious freedom within in this sect? it is notorious for brainwashing it’s followers with dubious recruitment methods

Investigations are being conducted all over the world involving charges of fraud and harasment .Gross invasions of privacy and threatening sect members who wish to withdraw from the sect.

This is not a religion it is a dangerous secretive cult, a money and power grabbing organisation with outrageous claims of space travel & extra terrestrial manifestations.

Can we expect to see the Exclusive Bretheren sect appear in prime time on channel 31 after all their another exclusive insidious sect along the same lines of the scientology sect.

Community channel 31 has to return to its original charter of representing the community not religious sects!! Supporters of channel 31 deserve better