Loose Change on Triple M Australia

[Strider1974]

On Thursday night on Triple M (Radio station in Australia) the program Spoonman discussed the loose change video giving it a favourable review.

In response I went to the Triple M forum page http://www.mmmelb.com.au/stuff/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=12 and posted a thread titled 'Loose Change - Just plain wrong", linking this forum and the Scientific American article
http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?t=58618 and http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?art...81809EC588EF21 (http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=000B7FEB-A88C-1C75-9B81809EC588EF21)

My thread has now been deleted 4 times - the first 3 times a moderator 'abe' claimed I had posted 'hot' links ie conatins spyware, so I reposted without the links and now it has been deleted again. When I PMed Abe he first made the above claim, then edited my repost invisibly and deleted some more. In our PM's he first tried to take the moral high ground and then started on the personal attacks

I am fairly sure that this 'abe' is a looser and is using his position as a moderator to stop dissenting views.

Thoughts anyone?
Should I contact Triple M management? Would anything happen if I did?

[jhunter1163]

Guess the "truth" movement can't handle the truth...

But anyway, I'd contact MMM management, ask them why their moderator is shutting down dissenting points of view.. if you get no satisfaction there you could contact another media outlet and tell them the whole sordid tale. I'm sure someone would be happy to jump on that for you.

[rustytunes]

Very disapointing, but I think all commercial FM stations in Oz are the same in this respect. I'd still take it further with them though.

I find the commercial AM talk-back here is full of woo much more than the FMs, especially psychics who do the phone-in readings. :mad:

[arthwollipot]

Can you phone them?

[Strider1974]

Can you phone them?

Yes, the site lists phone contacts and I have been thinking about calling them

Will have to wait till Monday in any case

[orphia nay]

Good effort, Strider1974, even if your posts were all deleted.

I did a search there but can't find LC being discussed anywhere, which is one good thing, unless I didn't do it right. Do you have any links?

"Abe" may just be trying not to make Spoonman look stupid, which is his job, I guess. You may have had more effect than you realise, if you've got him to follow the links.

Keep us posted.

[a_unique_person]

On Thursday night on Triple M (Radio station in Australia) the program Spoonman discussed the loose change video giving it a favourable review.

In response I went to the Triple M forum page http://www.mmmelb.com.au/stuff/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=12 and posted a thread titled 'Loose Change - Just plain wrong", linking this forum and the Scientific American article
http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?t=58618 and http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?art...81809EC588EF21 (http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=000B7FEB-A88C-1C75-9B81809EC588EF21)

My thread has now been deleted 4 times - the first 3 times a moderator 'abe' claimed I had posted 'hot' links ie conatins spyware, so I reposted without the links and now it has been deleted again. When I PMed Abe he first made the above claim, then edited my repost invisibly and deleted some more. In our PM's he first tried to take the moral high ground and then started on the personal attacks

I am fairly sure that this 'abe' is a looser and is using his position as a moderator to stop dissenting views.

Thoughts anyone?
Should I contact Triple M management? Would anything happen if I did?

What a loser. I'd follow it up, especially as this could make it onto "Media Watch". In fact, I'd pass it on to Media Watch.

There's enough trouble in the world as it is without idiots like these guys spreading lunatic likes like this.

[princhester]

What a loser. I'd follow it up, especially as this could make it onto "Media Watch". In fact, I'd pass it on to Media Watch.

This is a damn good idea. Mediawatch love this sort of stuff.

[princhester]

Another thought: Mediawatch no doubt have lots of complaints sent to them, and they have to worry about defamation etc, so you need to be able to present them with a bundle of evidence that will pique their interest and be reasonably verifiable. Start the thread again, then take a screenshot. Keep taking and saving screenshots as the thread develops, then again as soon as it is deleted. Also send them the PM's. You might want to post the PM's here as well: it's always useful to get a third party POV to make sure you and they come off as you think they do.

[princhester]

Another alternate idea (sorry about the triplepost, I'm enthused!): post your thread, and actually say in the thread that you have taken screenshots of your thread on the messageboard, and that if it gets deleted, you will go straight to Mediawatch. That might give this loser something to think about!

[orphia nay]

Media Watch - great suggestion, a_unique_person!!

I like your suggestions, too, princhester. I appreciate your enthusiasm.

Strider1974, if you do contact Media Watch, I'd suggest referring them to Gravy's 9-11 Loose Change Second Edition Viewer Guide (http://www.ccdominoes.com/lc/LooseChangeGuide.html) which is a direct, point-by-point and comprehensive debunking of the film.

All the best.

[Strider1974]

Thanks to the people who responded, it was appreciated.
Just in case anyone is interested here is the outcome.

In the end I decided not to contact Media Watch as the show focuses on professional reporters and since this issue was with a forum I did not think that it would apply.

I called Triple M spoke to the General Managers secretary. Here are the emails and my responses.

I am writing in response to your complaint regarding the forum on Spoonman's website. Thank you for your feedback on this issue.

Austereo is in process of developing formal guidelines concerning suitable topics and content for posting on our forums. We hope to launch the forum content policy in draft form for community consultation and feedback in coming weeks.

In the interim, we acknowledge that our moderators do have to make some "line ball" calls regarding content which we recognise can lead to some forum participants feeling aggrieved.

Again, we thank you for your feedback and hope you will agree that the development of these guidelines will improve all participants experience on the forum.

We hope you continue to enjoy Spoonman's show on Triple M.

Yours sincerely,
Helen Davies
General Manager


My response


The moderator 'ABE' did not make a "line call", he used the position of moderator to remove a post he did not agree with ie censorship.
The post I made was in response to The Spoonman giving the 'Loose Change" video a favorable review. This video claims the 911 tragedy was actively caused by the US government. Now I do not support George Bush or his administration but this video is just plain "WRONG" not to mention highly insulting to the people who lost loved ones.
Here are copies of the links I provided in my posts in response the "Loose Change" video http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?t=60976 (http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?t=60976) and http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=000B7FEB-A88C-1C75-9B81809EC588EF21 (http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=000B7FEB-A88C-1C75-9B81809EC588EF21)
The Spoonman has a right to discuss any topic his likes on his show but I feel that I should be able to respond on the Triple M forum without having a moderator abuse the position and remove contrary opinions, especially given the description of the forum ( Now The Spoonman Lets You Have Your Say Online. Nothing Is Sacred - No Topic Taboo - Everything Is Fair Game. So Start Your Own Topics And Air Your Grievance Here, Or Listen Monday To Thursday's.)

Could you please answer the following questions

1/ My original request was for my forum posting to be restored as it did not contain any offensive language, spyware, spam, porn or anything else that could be considered inappropriate for children (or anyone else) Could this still be done?
2/ Does Triple M/Austereo support the "Loose Change" video?
3/ Will the new forum rules contain provisions to stop moderators abusing their position and censoring posts they do not personally agree with?
4/ Could someone speak to the moderator "ABE' to let this person know that the post has been restored and that the action taken by this moderator was inappropriate and should not be repeated?


.....and the 2nd reply from Triple M


Thank you for your response of 23 August 2006.


I would like to confirm that the role of our moderator is to prevent people from going off-topic or posting abusive or offensive material. On the occasion in question, the moderator made the decision that the posts were either off-topic, or would move the discussion off-topic. We have, however, noted your disagreement of this assessment and passed your comments to the online programming manager.

I also advise that when a post is removed from the site, it is deleted from the forum system and therefore is unable to be 'restored'.

Michael, as mentioned previously, we are developing guidelines for the forums and trust these will improve the experience of all participants on the site.

Regards
Helen Davies


Since it seems that Triple M supports this moderator (I suspect it is either Spoonman himself or a senior Triple M employee), then no set of rules can change the situation. I think the best thing for me to do is just avoid listening to the Spoonman and not bother with the Triple M forum.

[Brainache]

Well that'll teach you to listen to MMM.
You might as well listen to Alan Jones for a balanced view of the world.

[Obviousman]

You might consider having a read over the radio code of practice and see if you feel any breach has been made.

Then complain to ACMA:

http://www.acma.gov.au/ACMAINTER.131194%3ASTANDARD%3A%3Apc=PC_90101

[Obviousman]

You should be able to find the code of practice here:

http://www.commercialradio.com.au/index.cfm

[T.A.M.]

For every left...there is a right. My suggestion, would be to find a program with content that falls on the other side of the fence (ie Spoonmans competition locally), send them an email explaining thwe outrageousness of what has been done, and see if they will do a story, etc...

[gtc]

For every left...there is a right. My suggestion, would be to find a program with content that falls on the other side of the fence (ie Spoonmans competition locally), send them an email explaining thwe outrageousness of what has been done, and see if they will do a story, etc...

Unfortunately their biggest competition would be Fox FM (I think thats what it is called in Melbourne). Fox FM is owned by the same company.

[Obviousman]

If you have a look at the Conditions of Use for the forum, they can delete your post for no reason at all.

[Foolmewunz]

If you have a look at the Conditions of Use for the forum, they can delete your post for no reason at all.

And apparently they're exercising their whimsy as we write. If you look at the Steve Irwin threads, they're apparently tripping over themselves to accept Spoonman's apology for something (we won't know what, evidently) he said about Irwin.

They've deleted the threads that must've quoted what he said. I guess "ABE" is working overtime? :D