The Community Broadcasting Association (CBAA) is encouraging members to support its lobbying campaign by writing to politicians about community broadcasting.

In the lead up to this year’s federal election, the CBAA is conducting a national campaign to secure election commitments from all parties for increased community broadcasting sector funding.

It is taking a two pronged approach with centralised lobbying in Canberra being supplemented by a ‘grass roots’ campaign where stations are encouraged to make contact with their local members of parliament to raise their awareness of community broadcasting.

Community broadcasting organisations have collectively presented a funding submission to the Federal Minister for Communications, Daryl Williams, the Shadow Minister Lindsay Tanner, and to Democrats and Greens representatives.

The submission seeks support for an additional Government commitment of $10.8 million per annum in core sector funding across four identified areas of need: programming, training, infrastructure and transmission access support.

The CBAA has prepared an election kit for stations to use in their lobbying activities, containing an overview of the funding submission, a snapshot of the community broadcasting sector, questions for on-air interviews with politicians, announcements and current affairs pieces to be played on-air, pro forma letters to politicians and other campaign materials.

Stations are being encouraged to invite politicians into the station and “introduce them to your volunteers, show them your studio equipment and talk to them about the major challenges facing your station. Make them aware that the sector is currently seeking greater funding commitments in the lead-up to the election.”

“There is no substitute for personal contact with your local politician,” says CBAA Membership & Development Manager Joanna McCarthy.