Ex colleague fears for Dene Broadbelt’s health as Eagle FM probe widens

 

Last Saturday we published a story, first broken by the Goulburn Post about a three way dispute between unpaid performers at a recent concert event, Eagle FM who ‘presented’ the event, and its hastily departed PD, Dene Broadbelt.

Since then we’ve been contacted by a number of radio industry people, who, after reading the story, wanted to share their past experiences of working with Mr Broadbelt at other stations. While most were less than flattering, at least one former colleague, who did not wish to be named, was genuinely concerned for Mr Broadbelt’s well being.

We’ve also spoken to Eagle FM, 2GN General Manager, Gail Bowdern who told us she’d been unable to contact Mr Broadbelt since, “Thursday the 11th of April, when he walked out mid-shift at five to four.”

After several unreturned phone calls, radioinfo managed to track down Mr Broadbelt at an undisclosed location where we asked how he was coping with the events of the past few weeks. He told us, “It’s a bit of a downer for my confidence, so I’m taking time off to get away from all the stress. I’m taking a break now.”

Apart from Capital, Mr Broadbelt has worked for a number of major networks, including SCA, Grant and the Super Network. Our sources told us that he left each one on bad terms, and in many cases leaving a trail of unpaid bills. When put to Mr Broadbelt, he says, “As far as I know I left all my previous stations on good terms I left due to medical issues. I spoke to one previous PD this week and he didn’t say anything.”

But that’s not the experience of one of Mr Broadbelt’s past associates who on reading Saturday’s story typed his own name into the radioinfo search engine and was surprised to find several articles from 2010 with quotes purporting to be from him, relating to his time at Ridge Radio.

One article headed Dumb and Dumber, which radioinfo was led to believe was written and contributed by a Radio Radio staff member, described how two past employees were under investigation by the Federal Police for hacking into the station’s computer. But, according to the past staff member, it was Mr Broadbelt who planted the story: “He wrote an article in my name about people hacking into the system. He made that up. There is no record of that ever happening. There was no AFP investigation.”

Ridge Radio was an internet station set up by Mr Broadbelt  based in picturesque Bateman’s Bay on the NSW South Coast. The whole thing was a sham according to a past associate, who signed up to the project on the promise of future rewards. He was led to believe that the station had over 80,000 listeners, more than any internet station in Australia.

He recalls, “I was doing voice tracks for him for six to eight months from Queensland before I travelled down to Batemans Bay at my own expense and was shocked to find he was running the whole thing out of his bedroom.  

“When I told him I thought the station really needed to move into its own premises, he suggested I go out and rent one and put the lease in my name. I refused.

“When I returned from Batemans Bay and told him that I wasn’t happy doing this any more he sent me an email saying that I’d been sacked and that somebody would take over from my voluntary position of program director. He fired me but kept my face on the website for another 6 months till he got a job in Broome and had to abandon Ridge Radio.” 

radioinfo put the following question to Mr Broadbelt: When you were at Ridge Radio, you sent us a story about hacking at the station, but the station says that was not true. His reply: “I never had any feedback on that from the station”

While several others involved in Ridge Radio who were contacted by radioinfo corroborated Mr Mihan’s story, only Trent Geddes agreed to be named saying of Mr Broadbelt, “He could talk anyone and everyone into some sort of deal and then ended up leaving a bill behind.”

And it was bills left behind in Goulburn that is at the core of Mr Broadbelt’s current troubles.

It is common practice for radio stations to ‘present’ concert events without having any financial involvement or responsibility other than promoting the event and giving away a bunch of tickets. But according to Eagle FM GM, Gail Bowdern, “Dene has gone about under the guise of Capital Radio and enlisted the artists, the photographers and the videographers. And, of course, invoices had started to flood through. He never asked permission from me.

“In essence, when Dean did what he did he broke his contract because He wasn’t supposed to accrue any costs to the station in his role. He did that and that’s why he was terminated. He did not at any point resign and we have not had any communication with him, except where he was demanding his final pay,” Ms Bowdern said.

“I left radio Goulburn on my own behalf,” insists Mr Broadbent, “I have written to them and I’m still waiting on unpaid salary. They have not answered my correspondence yet.”

Mr Broadbelt also said that he was prepared to pick up the talent and photo/video bills (a total of $2,150 according to Ms Bowden) but then added, “I’m still waiting for money myself from Radio Goulburn. I have left my house with the rent unpaid for now… I can’t survive on fresh air, it’s a struggle.”

logo_258

Tags: | |