GOULBURN Radio has agreed to settle accounts with a Reality TV star and a photographer following claims they were never paid for their services after the Eagle FM Mini Day Out.
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The event was held in Victoria Park on March 30 and widely touted as the major 150th Birthday calendar item for young people.
It featured live musical performances by a combination of local and imported talent, including Kathryn Hartnett, DJ Shane Burgess, Triple J Unearthed favourites People’s Palace and Reality TV stars Lachlan Cosgrove, Tyrone Georgiardis and Altiyan Childs.
It was also hosted by 2012 Big Brother contestant Zoe.
However, on Monday Tyrone’s management informed the Post that their client had not been paid for his services and that Eagle FM was refusing to make good on the verbal contract, saying they were not financially responsible for the event.
The 18-year-old X Factor contestant’s manager Alex Reid said his client was booked for the event by the station’s former program director Dene Broadbelt, who agreed to pay him $800 to perform four songs, fulfil press requirements and do a meet and greet with fans.
The day after the concert, the youngster’s booking agent emailed an invoice to Mr Broadbelt.
After more than a week of trying to make contact, the program director responded to an email saying the money had already been transferred.
“Sorry I haven’t been able to get back to you sooner, I have been flat chat and will be for the next 20 days,” the correspondence read.
“My personal accountant has advised that payment was made on Monday of this week. Could you please confirm his bank account information for me to cross reference with her to double check there was no error in bank account information.”
That, Mr Reid says, was the last time they heard from him.
On Thursday, Tyrone’s managers contacted Goulburn Radio general manager Gail Bowdern directly to find out when he would be paid.
They said she responded by saying that Mr Broadbelt had acted on his own, not on the company’s behalf.
However, Mr Reid did not believe this was acceptable, pointing out that all of the promotional material listed it as an Eagle FM event.
He said his client never questioned the legitimacy of the offer because it came from a local radio station and that now he was out of pocket.
“He’s a struggling musician and now he is out of pocket because he travelled up to (Goulburn from Sydney, at his own expense, to) perform for a radio station,” Mr Reid said.
“(Mr Broadbelt) was the program director for the radio station and he was acting on their behalf so the radio station has to be liable for it.”
In addition, a photographer was also promised $350 to cover the event. He had also made contact with Goulburn Radio management.
Late Tuesday afternoon, Mrs Bowdern confirmed to the Post that both accounts would be settled before the close of business.
She also said that Mr Broadbelt’s employment was terminated on Monday afternoon but couldn’t comment on the reason.
She did say, however that he was not acting on the company’s behalf while organising the festival.
“It was a Goulburn Mulwaree Council event and a Youth Council event. It was not an Eagle FM event other than we were supporting it. It was not held by, funded by or managed by Eagle FM. We had naming rights but we weren’t financially responsible,” she said.
“Dene Broadbelt engaged these services without the permission of Goulburn Radio or Eagle FM but we just want to make sure these artists get what they are owed because they did it in good faith with our program director. So we’re making payment today.”
When Mr Broadbelt returned requests for comment, he confirmed that he had promised both Tyrone and the photographer payment for their services but said it was always on the proviso that he would be paying for it out of his own pocket.
He was aware that the event had no budget and insists he verbally communicated that to the young star’s booking agent.
“I clearly stated to Andrew (Blackwood) on the phone that he had to bill me directly because it was a free event and it wasn’t to do with the station,” he said.
He also told the Post that he received the invoice but didn’t get around to paying it because of the intensity of work commitments.
In the past week he has also had to deal with personal matters including the death of a loved one.
“I have resigned from Eagle FM due to family issues but I have told the guys that I will get around to reinstating that payment,” he said.
The Community Drug Action Team donated the lights and sound equipment for the day and the majority of artists donated their time, X Factor winner Altiyan Childs was among them.
Mr Childs’ manager Matt Garnsey (who also represents Zoe and Lachlan) told the Post his clients were prepared to perform for free because it was a positive community event and that it was a shame to see it end in controversy.
“I would hate to see the Youth Council be tarnished by this,” he said.
“Altiyan, Zoe and I met with them and they were lovely kids and they had a lot of questions… It’s pathetic what has happened and it is a shame that they’ve been dragged into this when they’ve probably been working on it a year. It was a great day and we’d be prepared to come back down and do it again.”
While he was not concerned, Mr Garnsey also told the Post that his clients had not received everything they were promised.
He, Zoe and Altiyan’s band received free accommodation for the night but their meals were not catered for like they were told they would.
Mr Broadbelt confirmed this was also accurate but said it was due to an administrative issue with the Youth Council.
He disputed his former employer’s claims that the Mini Day Out was never an Eagle FM event, saying it was always branded as such as per the initial agreement between the station and the Youth Council.