The Satellite Story
In 1993 the CBAA established the Community Radio Satellite after more than a decade of exchanging and distributing radio programs via cassette.

Four media organisations have co-operated to make the satellite service an exciting reality for community radio all over the country. CBAA, the former NIMAA, RPH Australia and the BBC World Service transmit their programs via Optus onto the C1 Satellite from the Belrose Uplink Center. The Community Radio Network transmits programs to over 170 community radio stations across Australia.

The CBAA channel 14, or CRN as it is better known, broadcasts in stereo and is one of four services on offer. The other three services are:
NIRS channel 11 (National Indigenous Radio Service) channel operated by the National Indigenous Media Association of Australia also in stereo
RPH channel 12 Australia channel in mono
BBC channel 13 BBC World Service in mono.

The satellite alternative gives those stations more freedom to concentrate their (mostly volunteer) program-making energies on locally based information and culture.

CRN programs may be broadcast live or recorded for broadcast later. They can be broadcast in full or edited for use in local programming as long as you credit the original program during or at end of your program.

THE CBAA CHANNEL (CRN)
Block or specialist programs on the channel are usually produced by community stations. They are sent to the CBAA by various methods: courier, post, landline or ISDN audio transmission. The CBAA then organises the programs into a format for satellite distribution.
The Community Radio Network (CRN) differs from other media networks with centralised program distribution. Our stations enjoy ultimate control over their satellite program uptake.

Each month CRN staff send out copies of our program guide and newsletter to each CRN receiving station. It provides info on regular programs, specials and new programs.

Each month's Newsletter and Program Guide are also available on this website. The newsletter is also emailed to as many individuals from stations who request it. The enables lots of people at each station to know what material they can use off the satellite to support their program and station.

WHAT DOES CRN OFFER?
CRN has various program elements on its channel:

1. Core Programs. It broadcasts some of the best programs produced by member stations. Typically they run in half-hour and one hour slots - either 28, 56 or 60 minutes (depending on their timeslot). These speech or music-based block programs are transmitted as produced without individual station identification or time references. Occasionally programs are made especially for the satellite service.

2. Sustaining Service. CRN runs 24hr 7day programming providing a 'sustaining service', which allows any community radio station to broadcast around the clock. This service is valuable for supplementing difficult spots in program formats, such as midnight to dawn and weekend shifts, during studio overhaul periods or when a regular presenter is unable to make a shift.
Any dead air between programs is filled by music.

3. News and Current Affairs. Daily live news (National Radio News) is available on a fee-for-service basis. NRN must contacted and subscribed to before using.
Weekday current affairs is available free through 'The Wire'.

4. Live Coverage of Festivals. CRN provides live broadcasts of festivals in co-operation with local stations. We broadcast around a dozen of our largest music festivals which have included the Woodford Folk Festival, Tamworth, WOMADELAIDE, Mildura and Gympie Country Music Festivals, Wangaratta Jazz Festival, National Folk Festival, Melbourne Cup and the East Coast (Byron Bay) Blues & Roots Festival.

5. Commercial or Non-profit Programs. Appropriate commercial or non-profit organisations may buy programming time on CRN. These may be special event programs, Community Service Announcements or regular special interest programs. These sales of airtime help defray CRN costs.

HOW IS CRN FUNDED?
Each station raises their own funds for satellite reception equipment. Usually these funds would be obtained through general equipment grants from the Community Broadcasting Foundation, based in Melbourne. The CBAA maintains the satellite service through station fees, a CBF operating grant and CRN fundraising with each providing about a third of CRN's budget.

GETTING YOUR PROGRAM ON CRN
We are always looking for new programs for the satellite. See our seperate section Contributing to CRN. There are Guidelines for Program Makers which are revised from time to time.
The Guidelines are formulated in response to practical programming issues ranging from the need to fit into existing time slots to having a national outlook.

SATELLITE ADVISORY COMMITTEE
The S.A.C. is there to provide the CBAA National Committee and the Program Services Manager with advice and feedback on satellite matters, and as a final court of appeal on satellite programs. The S.A.C. Chair for 2006/7 is John MacInnes who works for 3WAY Warrnambool, VIC and is a member of the CBAA National Committee.