Community broadcasters are urging the Government to make a real investment in local economies and communities, by committing an extra $14 million to vital community broadcasting services.
President of the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia (CBAA), Deborah Welch says, “The community broadcasting sector is the training ground for the Australian media industry. It is the launching pad for the career of thousands of Australian musicians. It is an incredible source of local news, music and culture targeted specifically to local communities and produced by members of the community themselves.
“Plus it is a significant source of local emergency services information. It’s time for the Government to invest properly in this vital national resource,” Ms Welch said.
Senator Scott Ludlum, Communications spokesperson for The Greens, agrees saying “Government should always be looking at ways to bring communities together, through sharing information and building partnerships. This is all the more important at times like these, when the community is under mounting financial pressure. Community broadcasting can help build this cohesion, [but it] is so often overlooked by Government. This budget, the Government has an opportunity to turn that around. It must inject $14 million into the sector, so that it can continue to make a crucial contribution to our community.”
The vast majority of station funding is self generated through community support, sponsorship, donations and other fundraising activities. However, according to the CBAA, stations’ capacity is threatened by inadequate Commonwealth support, which currently totals only $8.7m. per year.
Over the last decade:
• Station technology has aged – more than half the stations have equipment more than 10 years old
• Stations face the challenge of implementing digital free-to-air and on-line services
• Support available per station has declined significantly – the average total funding level is now 18% lower in real terms than a decade ago
• Support has not kept pace with growth – since the last major funding review in 1996/7 over 200 new services have been established, a 53% increase in station numbers.
Ms Welch says, “The CBAA is calling on the Federal Government to commit $14 million in new funding for content production, infrastructure, training and sector co-ordination and planning. With $10.4 billion being spent on ‘strengthening the economy’ this highly targeted $14 million will assist in skills development and employment pathways for many volunteers involved in local stations as well as strengthening local communities ability to sustain themselves in tough times.”
More than 23,000 volunteers and 900 staff work in community radio and television stations around the country. The total audience for community radio is 9.5 million and for community television, 3.4 million. 70 % of licences are in regional, rural and remote areas.
A detailed policy proposal, Value Our Voices – Strengthen Community Broadcasting, is available on request or may be downloaded from the web.