Frank Bonaccorso has been appointed to the full-time role of Director for National Radio News at Bathurst

Youth broadcaster, and community radio station, Edge Radio, will be allowed to provide a DAB+ digital radio service in Hobart despite being in the RA3 licence area for the city.

Digital radio services are usually identical to commercial radio licence areas, and, generally, for a community radio broadcasting licensee to be eligible to provide digital radio services, it must either hold an RA1 Licence for the planned relevant commercial radio licence area, or have its licence area deemed to be the same as the commercial radio licence area.

Now available to listen online and broadcasting on Australian community radio stations is the sixth instalment of CBAA’s National Features and Documentary Series, an annual showcase of new work by Australian community radio producers.
 

The CBAA and First Nations Media Australia have launched First Sounds, a new and unique initiative to get more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists heard across Australian radio. 

First Sounds is a special collaborative undertaking broadening the reach of Indigenous heritage, history and culture and supporting the burgeoning First Nations music industry.

Anthony Dockrill reports

Ally Newton offered her audience chocolate prizes as they focused on how they could work towards the big prize of winning CBF grants for their station, at a CBAA Conference session on funding.

She began by outlining, who is the CBF and who do they fund, then discussed key principles for writing a grant.

The primary purpose of the CBF is to support community media by offering grants for content, development and operations.

In a session on volunteering, hosted by Geoff Sharp from Volunteering Victoria, a range of topics were discussed from how to get more volunteers to engaging young people.

“It is really easy to write a cheque or make a donation but there is nothing more valuable in this modern age than time. When you volunteer you give your time, that has high value,” said Sharp.

Asked the most important thing they have learnt from managing volunteers, the two panel members said:

Sponsorship is the area where many community stations struggle, so in Stephen Pead’s session at the CBAA Conference, he gave some useful tips on how to increase funding from sponsors.  

Don’t rely solely on sponsors, he warned, make sure there is a mix of income streams such as memberships, fund raising, grants as well as sponsors.

“You have to follow the rules and acknowledge the sponsorship, then maximise the results for your sponsors.

"Maximise your opportunities, tell potential sponsors what’s in it for them.