NEMBC asks the government for $3.4M

The NEMBC submitted a request to the Commonwealth Government’s 2020-21 Budget Review for $3.4 million.
 
The submission focused on three new areas of investment aimed at driving sector growth for ethnic community broadcasting: 

  • Targeted support for refugee and new and emerging communities – particularly in regional areas.
  • Training and skills development for ethnic and multicultural broadcasters
  • Program and content production.

 
The NEMBC is asking for $1.8 million over a three year period to build the capacity of new and emerging communities in regional areas, to start new multicultural radio stations and provide information about government services and local programs, education and media skills training to improve employment opportunities, give leadership opportunities for all ages and strengthen community participation.
 
The NEMBC CEO, Russell Anderson said, “This is such an important initiative. Populations of new communities in rural areas have recently expanded significantly, and what better way to make these communities feel at home, safe and engaged, than participating in community radio. There is a real need to support communities to have a voice in towns such as Griffith, Wagga Wagga and Tamworth. ”
 
The second funding request is targeted at training and skills development for ethnic and multicultural broadcasters.
 
In ethnic community broadcasting, training must incorporate familiarisation with Australian laws, civic, and social attitudes, which are often different to recent arrival communities. The NEMBC requested $350,000 per year for this initiative.
 
Mr Anderson said, “New digital platforms are now a prominent part of the media landscape, and training in this area is crucial for the many language groups in ethnic community broadcasting, particularly for the older communities whose members are generally from an older age group”.
 
The final request was $1.1 million annually for content and program production. Mr Anderson said “Maintaining program quality and community support are key priorities for the ethnic community broadcasting sector. Rich and well-produced content is the reason why ethnic communities listen to community radio”.

 The full detailed submission is available here
 

 
 

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