3KND on air in Melbourne

When aboriginal community station 3KND launched this week, ATSIC Commissioner for Victoria, Troy Austin, hailed the launch of Victoria’s first Indigenous radio station as “an historic turning point for the Koori community and a great boost for the reconciliation process”.

3KND (Kool N Deadly) was allocated one of three Melbourne-wide community radio licences, 1503 on the AM band, by the ABA in December 2001.

“We’ve waited a long time for this historic day and everyone should be excited – Indigenous and non-Indigenous alike – by the opportunity to tune into Koori radio,” said Austin. “The silence has been broken. Finally, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people will be able to tell our side of the story on Indigenous issues and to share our cultures with the wider community.

“3KND will give great exposure to our arts and music, particularly aspiring musicians that would not normally get coverage on mainstream media. On another level, 3KND will provide training and employment opportunities for Kooris in an important industry.”

Austin said it was “ironic” that 3KND should hit the airwaves only a few days after mainstream media coverage on ATSIC and its future had “plummeted to new lows.”

Austin said he was “proud” that ATSIC had provided major financial support and advice to SEIMA and urged the State Government to show a similar level of commitment. “ATSIC has been there from the outset. We provided funds to cover the costs of test broadcasts in 1999 and the creation of a business plan. ATSIC Binjirru Regional Council also contributed funds for staff training. More recently, ATSIC has provided substantial funds for the station’s operational costs and equipment.”

The aboriginal broadcast sector is currently undergoing a shake up, as previous broadcast entities are being merged into a proposed new organization called the National Indigenous Broadcasting Service (NIBS).

ATSIC believes that this is “the logical next step in the ongoing development of the long-held vision of Indigenous Australians involved in providing broadcasting and communications services.”

“Indigenous broadcasting has now reached the stage where there is clear need for the establishment of a national system.”

The National Indigenous Broadcasting Service plans to “support a primary service (radio, television and on-line) for Indigenous communities, together with an informative and entertaining secondary service for non-Indigenous Australians; and provide opportunities for Indigenous Australians to train and find professional employment in the burgeoning communications sector.”

It would not replace existing producers, broadcasters and media associations, but would “channel all federal funding to Indigenous broadcasting.” It would also provide broadcasters with a range of national program feeds, such as news, talkback and breakfast programs and offer to support broadcasters on a contractual basis with a range of core services; eg planning, technical support, training and national airtime sales. The NIBS service sees itself as becoming an aboriginal version of the ABC or SBS.

NIBS would be made up from three separable modules: NIBS Radio, NIBS Television and NIBS Online.