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COMMIT TO
Community
BROADCASTING
COMMIT TO Community BROADCASTING
THERE ARE OVER 380 INDEPENDENT, NOT-FOR-PROFIT COMMUNITY BROADCASTERS IN AUSTRALIA WITH A DEDICATED AND GROWING AUDIENCE. COMMUNITY RADIO STATIONS REACH A WEEKLY AUDIENCE OF OVER 4.4 MILLION PEOPLE. COMMUNITY TELEVISION HAS A MONTHLY METROPOLITAN REACH OF 3.7 MILLION VIEWERS.
These broadcasters are governed and operated by the communities that they serve, with approximately 22,000 volunteers contributing each year. Content produced is overwhelmingly local: 34% of all community radio stations are sole providers of local programming in their area. Stations work with and for their local community, with many actively involving and producing thousands of hours of unique content for Indigenous, religious, ethnic and multicultural, youth, senior, and the print- disabled communities as well as specialist music, education, arts and a broad range of general services.
Community broadcasting has always been significantly self-funded. The level of ongoing Federal Government funding for community broadcasting through its Community Broadcasting Program provides just 8.5% of average station income. The Federal Government currently provides no dedicated ongoing funding support for community television.
While modest, Federal Government policy and funding support is crucial to the sector’s ongoing operation and development. Globalisation and technology convergence has created challenges for the sector. To ensure that community broadcasting can develop in a digital era and continue to meet the needs of local communities, we request an additional $5 million per annum in ongoing funding to the sector.
HERE’S HOW YOUR PARTY CAN SUPPORT Community BROADCASTING:
ESTIMATED COST $900,000
ESTIMATED COST $700,000
ESTIMATED COST $1,700,000
ESTIMATED COST $1,700,000
COMMIT TO REGIONAL AND RURAL STATION DEVELOPMENT: Regional and rural community radio stations are crucial to their communities, with 34% of stations acting as the only source of local broadcast content and news. Funding is requested to provide support for regional and rural stations to achieve operational consistency, better support volunteers, support the connec-tion to community for new and emerging ethnic communities, and maintain stable management practices.
COMMIT TO COMMUNITY TELEVISION: Community television needs certainty for planning and funding development purposes but current access to spectrum in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth expires on 31 December 2014. CTV needs a commitment to providing long-term a�ordable access to the sixth channel spectrum, as well as support for costs incurred through frequency changes. CTV requires dedicated funding for transmission costs, content production and equipment. Pilot programs have shown signifi-cant promise but there is still no dedicated funding for CTV.
COMMIT TO A DIGITAL RADIO FUTURE: Digital radio services are now operating for metropolitan-wide community radio stations in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. Existing legislation and government policy for digital radio platforms reserves capacity and ensures access is a�ordable for community broadcasters. A full and detailed planning process now needs to be undertaken to consider extending digital radio to provide regional and further metropolitan capacity, including sub-metropolitan services. The planning process should involve community, commercial and national broadcasters, and licenses for any interim digital radio trials should require that capacity be reserved for the inclusion of community radio services.
SKILLS FOR THE SECTOR: Community broadcasting relies on volunteers but volunteers require training in technology, media and governance skills, all of which create improved content and well-managed stations. A significant percentage of training benefits regional and remote volunteers. Additional funding for skills development and training will substantially increase the number of trainees and assist ethnic community broadcasters to provide training in languages other than English.
COMMIT TO INDIGENOUS BROADCASTING: Indigenous broadcasters need a full Government response to the 2010 Review of Australian Government Investment in the Indigenous Broadcasting and Media Sector (the Stevens Review). The independent review found that Indigenous broadcasting is a powerful tool for the wellbeing of Indigenous people and can help “close the gap.” To date, the government has responded to 2 of the 37 recommendations.
FUNDING FOR RADIO TRANSMISSION: In 2011-12,community radio stations paid over $3.5 million to transmit their signal over third party facilities. Costs for transmission are increasing but the average subsidy level available to assist stations with transmission has decreased by 39%. Increased funding is required to restore transmission subsidy levels available to stations to 2004/05 levels, and to support additional costs brought about by potential changes in the 800 MHz and 900 MHz band requiring replacement of Studio Transmitter Links (STL's)for stations.
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TOTAL FUNDING REQUESTED $5 MILLION
www.committocommunityradio.org.au Des
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COMMIT TOCommunityBROADCASTING
FROM THE COMBINED REPRESENTATIVES OF COMMUNITY GOVERNED AND OPERATED MEDIA
Community Broadcasting Association of Australia –Australian Community Television Alliance – Christian
Media Australia – National Ethnic and Multicultural Broadcasters Council – RPH Australia
For further information: Erin Turner, Campaigns Coordinator, CBAA,
02 9318 9611 | [email protected]
Supported by the