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Staff, volunteers and supporters of Bristol independent radio station Ujima are to hold a demonstration this morning demanding action to get it back on the airwaves.
Electricity to Ujima’s studio and office building in Wilder Street, St Paul’s, was cut off on Tuesday after the landlords failed to pay the bills.
Leaseholders Ceed Ltd claim Ujima’s rent does not cover the station’s electricity usage, which comes from Utility Warehouse. However, the station’s bosses say they have paid all their bills and have been left at the mercy of the landlord.
The building is owned by Bristol City Council and Ujima managers are calling on mayor George Ferguson to personally intervene and help to restore power to their studios. Mr Ferguson last night said he was “asking for an urgent report” into the situation at the station.
In a statement on the urban music station's website, the directors said: “We regret to announce that Ujima Radio 98FM is currently off air until a situation entirely out of our control can be resolved.
“On Tuesday 11 March, at 1pm, the power supply to Ujima House, where the Ujima Studio is, was cut off. The landlords, Ceed Ltd, have not been paying the utility bills, despite the fact that Ujima Radio are fully up to date with all rent and rate payments.
“Ujima House is owned by Bristol City Council but leased to a company, Ceed Ltd, who act as landlords, renting the space to us. Ujima Radio have been paying rent and rates to the landlords, but, according to the court warden, the utility bills have not been paid for a long time.
“We are calling on Bristol City Council, as owners of Ujima House, to intervene and ensure that power is reinstated to the building so that Ujima Radio, and the other community organisations that rent space in the building, can operate again.
“We are asking all friends and listeners of Ujima Radio to join us at 10am on Friday, March 14 in front of the station, to take a stand, show their support and urge the council to take responsibility for their building and resolve the situation. A vital community service has been taken away and we need to ensure that it is now restored.”
Joseph Gomwalk of Ceed told BBC Radio Bristol: “We are in contact with Utility Warehouse to sort out payment and we hope the power will be back on by Monday.”
Utility Warehouse said: “Unfortunately, the landlord has not paid for any of the electricity used in his entire building for a considerable time.
“We sympathise wholeheartedly with Ujima Radio and their listeners, but their dispute is with the landlord, not ourselves.”
Organisers of the demonstration have called on as many staff, volunteers and supporters to “bring musical instruments, lots of colour and Ujima spirit and make it a carnival demo”.
Ujima volunteer Cheryl Morgan said the station provided a “vital service”.
“Let him [George Ferguson] know that Ujima is a vital part of the city’s culture that is spreading Bristol’s good reputation around the world. It is not his fault that we are off air. He just needs to know what Bristol will lose if we can’t broadcast,” she said.
