Média Sud was launched in 2008 as a joint project between community newspaper Point Sud and community radio station FM 103.3 (CHAA), both serving the South Shore community. It provided much-needed coverage of local news for those communities, who are otherwise underserved by large Montreal papers who focus on the island and Transcontinental-owned community papers that are little more than press releases and advertisements.

That partnership has broken down in recent weeks, with both sides fighting over control of the website. The battle appears to have been won by the newspaper (which literally took control of the website and denied the radio station access), and the story on Média Sud (and audio news update) makes it out to be a victory for goodness and puppies and such against the evils of community radio. The story by Quebecor weekly Brossard Éclair paints a much different story, with the radio station as the victim.

The conflict appears to have grown out of financial problems at the media website, even though it’s heavily funded by the city of Longueuil and the Quebec government, something The Gazette pointed out last year might hurt its objectivity.

Now that Point Sud has won the battle, let’s hope it can win the war to keep Média Sud alive.