As radioinfo reported exclusively last year, the community sector is shaping up for a funding fight over digital radio.
Melbourne stations fear they may have to switch off their services if more digital transmission funding is not forthcoming.
As the federal budget approaches, Melbourne’s nine community digital radio services will face an “uncertain future if the government does not reverse a funding shortfall.”
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy’s electorate office is in the suburb of Epping, in the Melbourne digital radio listening area.
The affected Melbourne stations today confirmed that without the Communications Minster committing adequate funds to the Digital Radio Project, they will be “at risk of not having a digital service in the future.”
Community digital radio services were launched nationally in 2011 and there are currently 37 metro-wide digital radio services in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.
Federal Government funding cuts in the last budget have resulted in a $1.4 million shortfall which, unless reversed in the upcoming May budget, could see many digital stations axed.
Triple R, which has 14,000 subscribers and 329,000 listeners each week, and Light Melbourne which has 364,000 listeners to its FM service weekly and 158,000 listeners to its digital channel per month, are just two of the stations that could lose their digital service.
Triple R Station Manager Dave Houchin believes community stations are entitled to affordable access to digital radio alongside the national and commercial broadcasting sectors.
“Community radio plays an extremely important role across the country, and Melbourne is no exception. There are nine digital radio services here that have become an engrained part of the city’s culture and we can’t afford to lose them.” Hear him discussing it on air at Triple R here.
SYN Media’s General Manager Tahlia Azaria says digital radio has so far enabled the station to expand on the training and broadcast opportunities it provides young people each year and loss of the digital service would be a backwards step.
“Before digital radio we worked with 1000 young people each year, and the past 18 months has been spent generating over $100,000 in funding to get our studios ready for digital broadcasting so we can work with even more. Minister Conroy must commit to funding the shortfall in the next budget or community digital radio services will start disappearing, and all the work we did and the new studios we now have will have been for nothing.”
If the government does not meet the funding shortfall for community digital services it will be “disastrous for media diversity, specialist programming and local and Australian content,” according to Community Broadcasting Association of Australia (CBAA) President and General Manager of PBS Adrian Basso.
“Community radio provides a voice to such a broad range of people and interests in our communities that are not always represented by mainstream media outlets. It will be a sad day if digital radio loses the diversity and unique services that community radio brings to the media landscape,” says Basso.
In November last year Senator Conroy told radioinfo:
“Whilst not providing additional funding to expand the coverage of community digital radio in this year’s budget, the government has committed another $9.3 million over the next four years to allow the existing services in mainland capital cities to continue to operate. This follows on from $11.3 million to establish community digital radio in the five mainland capital cities where digital radio is now on air…”
but stopped short of the budget increase, which the community sector is seeking.
The community broadcasting sector has begun a lobbying campaign to highlight the funding shortfall and convince the government to allocate enough extra money for digital radio transmission in this year’s budget.
The Commit to Community Radio campaign launches today and calls on Senator Conroy and the Government to commit to a digital future for community radio.
I hope that everyone will use the link above and petition Stephen Conroy to commit funding to community radio - it is such a vital part of the community and where so many people have started their professional careers in radio.