Image Credit: FACEBOOK: Voice of the Shuswap

A non-profit Shuswap community radio station has seen such an upsurge in new membership it fears this is a coordinated attempt to orchestrate a politically motivated takeover by people strongly opposed to pandemic measures.

Voice of the Shuswap president Warren Bell said ordinarily it's difficult to get new members to join the decade-old radio station but about one month ago things changed.

A massive increase saw membership of the station go from about 120 to 400.

However, when the board scratched beneath the surface, they found it wasn't simply because Shuswap residents had become enamoured with their community radio station.

"This appeared to be some kind of coordinated attempt to change the direction of the station and its programming," Bell said.

Diplomatically, Bell, who is himself a physician, doesn't use the term anti-vaxxer, anti-masker, or any other colloquialism for people that have loudly opposed various institutions during the pandemic, but described them as people with "quite strong views" about what they thought was the "mismanagement" of the pandemic.

"We're talking about people who say that vaccines are poisonous and cause waves of disease and part of a plot to control society," Bell said. "(The) kind of information which is not substantiated... (and) would be impossible to share on a community radio station."

For a person to become a director of the radio station they have to be a member for six months and to vote for board director, individuals have to be members for 30 days.

Bell said the station saw a huge influx of members just before the 30-day cut-off.

"Our secretary joked that his fingers were tired from having to type so many names in," he said.

The radio station's bylaws mean that the entire board couldn't be replaced at the upcoming annual general meeting Feb. 16, but theoretically it could happen next year.

Bell said this is probably largely dependent on whether the pandemic is still going.

But if it is, the station could be in trouble.

"We would put our heads together and make sure a so-called hostile takeover was not possible," Bell said.

Bell said he's not opposed to criticism of the pandemic's handling, and has some issues with it himself, but says the rhetoric coming from many is nonsense.

"If you call somebody out on having maligned intent you have to be very clear that you have evidence that would stand up in court... and a lot of the stuff that's being said these days wouldn't stand up," he said.

Bell also points to the radio station's mandate.

"We've tried really hard to be non-partisan and neutral when it comes to public issues," he said.

A big concern for the board is that if it is taken over it could lose its licence because the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission does not allow information that is unsubstantiated to be broadcast.

The radio station's home at the First United Church would also be under threat because Bell says the church would likely cancel its lease.

However, Bell said to counter the takeover, a large number of people stepped forward and have become members because they appreciate and support the station.

He also extends an olive branch to those trying to take over the station.

"Maybe some of the people who are part of the dissident community members... might come forward and realize there are some opportunities to share some aspects of their opinion on the station and that could generate some new energy in the station," he said.

Voice of the Shuswap's annual general meeting will be held Feb. 16 via Zoom.

For more information about the radio station go here.

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