myfm105My105fm are up in arms after they were kicked out of the Gympie Music Muster on the say so of a Commercial Network. Their core audience in Mackay will miss the chance to listen in to the Muster Live. About 5 weeks ago they were advised that their station was no longer welcome at the Gympie Muster because of “contractual agreement” between ZINC RADIO owned by the Prime Radio Network who had imposed a ban on any other media attending the muster where ZINC radio broadcast. The my105fm press release follows:
Community Station kicked out of the Gympie Music Muster on the say so of a Commercial Network.
Mackay Country Music Audiences miss the chance to listen in to the Muster Live.
Congratulations are extended to the HOT COUNTRY network for their continued commitment to Australian Country Music by employing Brad Cole to provide reports across their network from the Gympie Muster.

MY105fm has been a dedicated country music station for 3 years now and like Hot Country supports the local country music industry giving artists exposure to our Mackay & Whitsunday audience - last year our audience were treated for the first time to 15 hours of live broadcasting of music, interviews and live performance from the Muster.

In 2009 we were ramping up our team and facilities to bring 15 hours a day over the weekend Friday, Saturday & Sunday a huge outside broadcast.
However about 5 weeks ago we were advised that our station was no longer welcome at the Gympie Muster because of “contractual agreement” between ZINC RADIO owned by the Prime Radio Network who had imposed a ban on any other media attending the muster where ZINC radio broadcast – we are a small Indigenous Community radio station and Zinc of course are an established rock brand – we were left wondering why we had been singled out by the Gympie Apex Club and the Gympie Muster to prohibit our participation of this event.
Country Music really needs all the help it can get – one must ask if the Muster is the show pony of Country Music that the Gympie Muster organisers don't want the coverage in our area.
It’s disappointing that small stations like ours are thumped by the mighty commercial networks – in particular one who doesn't have country music as its mainstay, I wouldn't see us as any threat to these commercial organisations.
Our radio station is one of a few in Australia that is a beacon for undying promotion of Country Music – we are a not for profit organisation just like the Gympie Muster – we will never walk away from what we believe is vital for the growth of the market – and that's the promotion of Australian Country Music – even if we are banned from bringing our Mackay & Whitsunday Audience first hand broadcasts of music and interviews from the 2009 Gympie Music Muster.
The Chairperson of MDAIMA the organisation who operate the my105fm Adrienne Barnett was very disappointed “we have been proud supporters to our community of Country Music for over 3 years now – we feel like we have been kicked in the guts by not being welcome at the Gympie Muster and depriving our mob and audience coverage they can’t get anywhere else”.
Stephan Kent the General Manager of the station commented “we are and always will be passionate about coverage of fantastic Australian Country Music, we have excellent relationships with the up and coming as well as established artists – they know they can jump on the phone at any time and get on air to talk about their latest project – we feel organisers of the Gympie Music Muster are doing an injustice to Mackay & this region by not allowing us to cover the event” he went on to conclude by saying “I doubt this has ever occurred anywhere else in the country – the country music media both online and free to air all work together in the spirit of promotion of the best brand of music around it's a pity the Gympie Muster organisers cant as well”.