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Community broadcasters have welcomed the Albanese Government’s announcement of $27 million extra funding for community radio and television.
Community broadcasting organisations are set to benefit from an extra $27 million of grant funding over the next three years as a result of today’s announcement from Minister for Communications, the Hon Michelle Rowland MP and Minister for Indigenous Australians, the Hon Senator Malarndirri McCarthy.
Community broadcasters deliver over 500 AM/FM/DAB+ services and two dedicated TV services that reach over 5.19 million people across Australia each week – almost one-quarter (24.8%) of Australians.
New funding includes:
$15 million over three years for the Community Broadcasting Program
$12 million over three years for Indigenous Broadcasting and Media Program
CBAA CEO Jon Bisset welcomed the funding.
“The additional funding announced today is sorely needed. The existing programs have not been funded to keep pace with rising costs nor respond to the contemporary challenges and needs of broadcasters.”
Throughout 2024, community broadcasters have been participating in industry-wide consultation process as part of the Government’s Community Broadcasting Sustainability Review. This process is ongoing and is considering the sector’s legislative, regulatory and ongoing funding needs for a long-term, sustainable future.
“We are very pleased the Government are responding to station’s needs with urgency and moving on additional funding now. This new funding will address an evident need for additional Government support. It will ease the pressure on the existing grant funding programs that are struggling to meet the demand from local stations and the communities they serve. As the Sustainability Review comes to a conclusion, we will continue to work with the Government to secure adequate, long-term resourcing that supports community broadcasters to elevate their positive impact in communities."
“We are very pleased the Government are responding to station’s needs with urgency and moving on additional funding now.
This new funding will address an evident need for additional Government support. It will ease the pressure on the existing grant funding programs that are struggling to meet the demand from local stations and the communities they serve. As the Sustainability Review comes to a conclusion, we will continue to work with the Government to secure adequate, long-term resourcing that supports community broadcasters to elevate their positive impact in communities."
The Albanese Government has also announced a commendable investment of $153.5 million over four years to support local news, public interest journalism and media literacy.
“Community-controlled media has a big role to play in Australia’s future. People around the country are seeking out local, independent media alternatives that help them to stay informed and connected – that contribute to building strong, resilient and harmonious communities. Community broadcasting is driven by over 18,000 volunteers and almost 1,000 employees working for the wellbeing of their communities. These stations provide independent news and share local-level information that other media does not, they build community resilience in the face of disasters, they cater for diverse artistic tastes and provide a vital platform new Australian music. They reflect Australia’s diversity and make our society stronger."
Further Information:
First Nations Media
First Nations community broadcasters receive grant funding through the Indigenous Broadcasting and Media Program. This Program has not received a meaningful funding increase for a decade and has not been indexed to keep up with rising costs. The announcement of an additional $12 million funding over three years will go some way towards addressing the real funding cuts the program has suffered over the last decade.
Community Broadcasting Program
Funding announced for the Community Broadcasting Program includes $3 million over three years to help community television rebuild services following the passage of legislation earlier this year ended a decade of regulatory uncertainty for community TV licenses. The Broadcasting Services Amendment (Community Television) Bill 2024 passed in April and extended the licences of Channel 31 Melbourne and Channel 44 Adelaide.
On top of the funding for community TV, $12 million of new funding has been announced over the next 3 years. All community broadcasters can apply for competitive grant funding through this program. As recognised in the Government’s Community Broadcasting Sustainability Review Discussion Paper, and Program Evaluation, this grant program is a historically oversubscribed program. The funding shortfall in 2024/25 is at least equal to $11 million. The average funding shortfall is over $9.7 million over the last 8 years but demand is likely much higher.
About Community Broadcasters
Regional and remote Australia
Over 70% of licensees are based in regional and remote areas.
62% of regional listeners say their main reason to tune in is for local information and news.
First Nations Australians
34 organisations provide 143 services, the great majority in in regional and remote areas.
Over one third (35%) of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples listen to community radio during a typical week.
Australians from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander background are 44% more likely than the general population to listen to community radio.
Multicultural Australia
1.50 million Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) people listen to community radio.
Over one quarter of people (29%) who regularly speak a language other than English in their household listen to community radio each week.
Community radio broadcasts in-language to over 110 different languages.
Australian Music
On average, community radio stations broadcast 38% Australian music each week.
31% of our listeners say hearing Australian music the is the main reason they tune in.
Disaster Resilience and Crises
When power, internet and mobile reception go down, community radio stations play a critical role to distribute emergency response information especially in regional and remote communities.
Before, during and after emergencies, local staff and volunteers work tirelessly to support and connect communities.
Hyper-local networks and knowledge make community broadcasting stations essential in preparing for, responding to and recovering from disasters.
Community broadcasting services reaches cultural and linguistically diverse communities, people with a print disability with critical information in times of crises.
People with disability
The Radio Reading Network provides 19 AM/FM radio services nationally with 668,000 listeners each month.
We are now working to increase representation of disability in media, improve how disability is portrayed and improve community attitudes towards people with disability in line with Australia’s Disability Strategy.
Faith-based communities
Including 36 Christian radio stations and 1 Muslim station. 95% of listeners to Christian community radio say their station has a positive impact in their lives and helps them grow spiritually (88%) and relationally (74%)
Contacts
Reece Kinnane, Head of Advocacy and Communications Community Broadcasting Association of Australia is available for comment ([email protected]; 0420 525 526).