Illustration by Kerrie Leishman

In this time of stage-managed election campaigns, and increased role of public relations people in generating news and a tight media market, Australia’s community broadcasters provide an independent voice and a truly local forum for those who are excluded from the mainstream media.

And there couldn’t be a more appropriate time for our major political parties to support community broadcasting – Australia’s largest, non-profit, independent media sector.

Australia is in the healthy situation of having more licensed community radio stations (358) than the number of commercial (274), ABC (65) and SBS (4) stations combined.

Each month, up to 9.5 million Australians (more than half the population) tune in to their local community radio station. Why, you might ask? Maybe it’s because more than 23,000 of their peers participate in the operation of community stations across the country. Maybe it’s because no other radio sector offers more than 77 per cent locally produced programming (that is, not networked) every week tailored to their community, ethnicity, their denomination, their demographic or their disability.

For example there’s SYN-FM in Melbourne, which is restricted to people aged under 26 and in one year trained 4000 young people in broadcasting. JOY-FM is the only radio station in the world operated by and for the local gay and lesbian community. Goolarri Media in Broome are active in media and music production and in providing training and employment opportunities for Aboriginal people in their community.

Most importantly, community broadcasting allows people to be part of decision-making and ownership of stations. Community radio gives people who are otherwise denied it, access to the airwaves. But it’s not just the volunteers who benefit and appreciate it.

Qualitative research shows that people like community broadcasting for local news, for offering the ability to connect or create communities and for more accurately representing our social and cultural diversity than other media, according to a McNair National Listener Survey in 2008. The federal government needs to acknowledge this and provide more sustainable support.

Towards this end, the community broadcasting sector has developed a vision that re-invigorates its role in local communities by enabling the industry to leverage the rollout of digital technology.

The Vision 2015 proposal is community broadcasting’s appeal to the major political parties to fully acknowledge the role and impact community broadcasting has on the nation’s media landscape and its diverse communities. Put forward by national representative, Vision 2015 demonstrates that despite the sector’s strengths, community broadcasting can be improved with strategic government financial support.

Community stations can provide the facilities, training and infrastructure for people who support their ideals to connect with digital media. A level of initial funding support is needed to establish this vision.

In conversation with Peter Godfrey on The Daily Interview last week, Senator Scott Ludlam, communications spokesman of the Greens, agreed that the role of the community broadcasting sector is made all the more significant and important because of Australia’s tightly controlled media market.

According to Ludlam, the community broadcasting sector’s Vision 2015 funding proposal is on target. “In the context of the extraordinary value that is provided by the community broadcast sector, culturally and economically and as training grounds for people, I don’t think that you’re asking for too much.”

Despite the degree to which our national broadcasters – ABC and SBS – are cherished by people who value independent media, they are not enough, and never can be. Despite the degree to which they are resourced, they cannot cover the diverse interests that have developed in this old and new country. They are undeniably national broadcasters – no matter how much they try to dress up and call themselves public or even community, they are not “of” the community.

Recently, the ABC received funding to provide what they described as “town square” services, where people could contribute content. But Australians generally won’t fall for that. Despite the ABC calling themselves “local radio”, people in Cairns know when the overnight program on “their” local radio is coming from Melbourne. Without 10 times the funding, the ABC just cannot be local enough.

The digital future is here. Community broadcasting wants to offer people who believe in independent media and serving their own communities, pathways to digital literacy and digital economies. Community broadcasting wants to provide the facilities, training and infrastructure for people who support their ideals to connect with digital media. And they want to do it with the support of this country’s policy makers.

David Melzer is the deputy general manager of the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia (CBAA).www.communitymediavotes.org.au

Source: The Age

When incumbent, Michele Bawden, decided not to renew her contract after two years at the helm, the CBAA sought someone with the industry experience to steer Australia’s largest broadcast sector through the complexities of new media technologies and services.

Kath Letch has decided to relocate from Melbourne to Sydney to take on the challenge. Kath has most recently been in the role of Digital Radio Project Manager working with 37 mainland capital city metro-wide stations to establish the first wave of community digital radio services.

Kath’s list of accomplishments in community broadcasting is impressive. Under fourteen years of Kath’s management, Melbourne’s 3RRR was transformed from a fragile station with a dedicated audience into a robust multimedia beacon for independent and alternative views and music.

3RRR will always carry the legacy of Kath’s skills and dedication. Her ability to harness the commitment of people and resources to one of the most popular community stations in the country enabled her to bring together the complex tasks needed to secure a strong and successful future for the station.

She now moves to manage a national organisation representing more than 500 community radio and television services. The number of community radio licences in Australia (358) outnumber those in the commercial (274), ABC (65) and SBS (4) stations combined.

Kath Letch has worked in voluntary and paid capacities in community broadcasting in two states and on a national level for over 20 years. After growing up in bayside Melbourne, she moved to Perth in her twenties to work in education and became involved in the early days of community radio there. She began broadcasting on 6UVS, and became Station Manager when the station returned to the airwaves as 6RTR in 1991.

She has worked on numerous national bodies including the CBAA National Committee as President for four years, the AMRAP advisory committee, and the Digital Radio Consultative Committee.

Kath’s commitment to independent community media and extensive knowledge of the sector in programming, management, training, co-ordinating volunteers and staff, chairing committees, technical knowledge, understanding audiences, promotions, project management, administration, finance, and the special ‘birds eye view’ gained through her time at the national level will be great assets to her role as CBAA General Manager.

Kath commences at the CBAA on September 20.

The day kicked off with a performance from SYN Free Kick Competition winners Money for Rope, followed by Little Freddy and the Pops and the Blackeyed Susans before the big game had even started.

The first half of the match was all Rockdogs. Megahertz fans were forced to busy themselves at the bar and immerse themselves in the halftime performance from The Living End rather than even think about the second half of football to come, with the Rockdogs leading 28 points to 2 at the major break.

The Megahertz ran out of the rooms after halftime like women and men possessed and started winning possessions all over the ground with far fresher legs than their rivals. Still victory felt out of reach until Jess McGuire (RRR’s Wired For Sound) made a fifty metre penalty count over a tall line of Rockdogs’ defense with only minutes to go.

Stew Farrell (despite ongoing taunts from his All Over The Shop co-host and commentator Leapin Larry L) put the nail in the Rockdogs’ coffin and sealed a one point Megahertz victory with a mark and goal from the forward pocket with less than 10 seconds on the clock.

Consistent all day at both ends of the field, Chris Gill (RRR’s Get Down) took out best on ground in the post match awards before Nick Barker and the Reptiles closed proceedings capping off a brilliant day for all.

Thanks to everyone who came down to rejoice in community spirit and help charity partner Reclink raise funds to provide sporting, social and arts activities to enhance the lives of people experiencing disadvantage.

Source: CBAA 3PBS

Regrettably the CBAA brings you the sad news that former CBAA Board member and dedicated community broadcaster, Addam Stobbs passed away on Wednesday 16th June.  He will be greatly missed by all at the CBAA, JOY 94.9 in Melbourne and his colleagues throughout our sector.

Addam has been involved in many aspects of community radio beginning with his work at JOY 94.9 in Melbourne. Addam produced the weekly program Allegro Non Troppo at JOY which was distributed to a national audience on the Community Radio Network, and was this year a vital and active member of the CBAA’s Satellite Advisory Committee.  Addam brought the perspective of an experienced  program producer to the committee which advises on the CBAA’s national program distribution service, CRN.

As a highly respected trainer, Addam shared his passion, skills and talent with broadcasters at many Melbourne stations. Always meticulously prepared and thorough, Addam offered his training skills generously where ever there was a need.

Addam was a regular contributor to CBAA National Conferences for many years and last year he delivered memorable workshops on programming and emergency broadcasting. He’d been keenly working on his workshop proposals for this year’s conference.

As part of his contribution to the work of the CBAA Board, Addam undertook a huge task in 2009 to research and draft the CBAA’s submission to the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission. He felt passionately about the community broadcasting sector’s vital role in providing essential emergency broadcasting services to our communities.

CBAA President, Deb Welch remembers Addam:  “A CBAA Board member in 2008-09, Addam was a passionate and principled contributor to our work on behalf of the sector.  A dedicated broadcaster and board member at JOY FM, and a trainer in many stations, Addam was both a believer and a hard worker.  A special thing about Addam was that he was a subscriber not just to his station, but to many others. At last count Addam was a member of 70 community radio and television stations. Sincere condolences to his partner Yoda and all at JOY 94.9 from the CBAA.”

CBAA President Deborah Welch

As the Federal election approaches, the Community Broadcasting sector is ramping up its lobbying effort for increased funding and recognition. The Community Broadcasting Association (CBAA) has now released its latest forward planning strategy, looking ahead to 2015. The document sets out the path the sector wants to follow in the next few years to “renew Australia’s Community Broadcasting sector and create the world’s most innovative, accessible community media,” and secure funding.

Community Broadcasting is “an important third sector, one based on community participation and control and world renowned for its innovation and reach,” according to the document, which stakes the claims of real community media against pretenders:

“Whilst global corporations now claim to be ‘community media’ as a branding exercise, not-for-profit Community Broadcasting allows people to genuinely shape and determine their media through active participation, ownership and control.”

The five‐year plan aims to create “the world’s most innovative, accessible community media sector.”

In Year 1 of the plan, community broadcasting seeks new annual funding of $25 million to develop community broadcasting as a key resource within the emerging Digital Economy. It highlights that 77% of content on community radio stations is locally produced and says community radio is the most cost‐effective means of meeting specialist content needs.

In Year 2, additional community media funding of $35 million is requested. In Year 3, $45 million is needed, in Year 4 another $45 is requested, and in Year 5 the sector wants another $45 million, as summarised in the chart at the bottom of this page.

The plan says Community Broadcasting can provide “the essential social inclusion strategies to enable all parts of our community to learn, work, engage, connect, access services and have a voice.” The proposal “supports the future strength and cohesion of local Australian communities.”

“Leveraging from the 30 year investment in our sector to date, we have the baseline infrastructure, specific training skills and expertise, community involvement, audiences, local connections and a commitment to social inclusion to produce strong outcomes. Our five‐year plan will see our stations transition to community digital hubs, offering a wide range of facilities, and opportunities to participate to all Australians.”

As part of the campaign to bring the community sector’s funding needs to prominence, CBAA President Deborah Welch wrote an opinion piece in Fairfax online publication The National Times, saying:

“In response to community needs and people’s desire to be involved, there are now 526 services around Australia. Notably, 80% of long-term licensed community radio services are now located in regional, rural and remote areas of Australia. We are Australia’s largest media sector and we are not-for-profit.

“Every month an audience of 9.5 million Australians, 57% of the population, tunes in to community radio. Between 2004 and 2008 our audience grew by 20 per cent. . . Our programming is as Australian and as local as content gets. It is created by community members, for their communities and it’s much-needed.

“At a time when commercial radio is seeking exemptions from Australian music quotas for digital broadcasts, community radio genuinely supports local talent, exceeding our 25% quota by broadcasting 36% Australian music.”

Lobbying efforts are also being conducted on a local level, with many community stations giving the same message to their state and local federal government representatives. Edge Radio in Tasmania has so far been successful in this area.

Source: http://www.radioinfo.com.au