The CBAA and the Community Broadcasting Foundation (CBF) are encouraging their members to email the Treasurer Joe Hockey, before the federal budget is brought down, urging him to maintain funding for the community radio sector.

So far, more than 5,000 emails have been sent to Mr Hockey.

Fearing deep budget cuts, the Commit to Community Radio Campaign which, according to it’s website, has already amassed over 45,000 supporters.

Responding to the Audit Commission's recommendation to cut community radio funding, CBAA President Adrian Basso says such a move will put stations right across the country at serious risk and cripple the community broadcasting sector's operations.
 

The Audit Commissison has specifically identified the Community Broadcasting program as an area to be "abolished or merged."

In Section 8 of the report the Audit Commisssion says: "The Commonwealth spent about $22 billion on around 500 grants programmes in 2012 13. The Commission recommends significant changes be made to the administration of the Commonwealth's grant programmes."

The CBAA’s music initiative Amrap has appointed musician Dan Sultan as the first Community Radio Amrap Ambassador. The new Ambassador program will recognise Australian artists who are consistently supported by community radio through Amrap.

The success of the CBAA's 'Commit to Community Radio' campaign has received a CommsCon Award for being one of the best performing communications campaigns of late. 

The Community Broadcasting Association of Australia’s Digital Radio Project and Community Radio Network are presenting a day of radio made by women, to be enjoyed by everyone.

Taking its name from the Riot Grrrl movement’s decree of “girls to the front” the pop-up station Girls to the Mic! is literally that, a day of radio where women can showcase the work and achievements of others.

The Community Broadcasting Association of Australia (CBAA) has distanced itself from the decision by commercial radio operators to cease streaming their simulcasts of local radio programs in regional markets.

In a communiqué to its members the CBAA stated: This action taken by some regional commercial broadcasters has no bearing on discussions between the community broadcasting sector and the PPCA. Community broadcasters should continue to simulcast online via their current streaming services.

The community broadcasting sector has recieved bad news today to learn $2.5 million in federal funds for community based transmitting services has been cut by the new Government. The cuts affect community radio and television transmission services.

Cut in yesterday’s Mid Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook, the funding was initially allocated in May 2013 to help communities in regional and remote Australia switch to the Viewer Access Satellite Television service at the end of 2013.

This Friday marks the beginning of the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia's (CBAA) 2013 CBAA Conference. Today, the CBAA has released the full schedule for the 3-day community broadcasting orientated series to be held at The Menzies in Sydney.

Friday's schedule includes:

Keynote address with Keynote Speaker Gretel Killeen

The latest Community Broadcasting Association of Australia (CBAA) National Listener Survey shows audience share for Australian community radio is expanding, with an average 29 per cent of all radio listeners tuning in each week.

Conducted by McNair Ingenuity Research, the 2013 survey is the sixth the CBAA has commissioned since 2004 and the first in a new bi-annual (six-monthly) format. The CBAA will officially release the Listener Survey at its annual conference, to be held at The Menzies in Sydney, November 14-17.