Community Radio 'Want Cut' Of Government Arts And Media Reforms

With yesterday's media reforms and today's National Cultural Policy announcement, the Community Radio lobby will be looking to remind the public and government decision makers of their current campaign regarding digital radio.

Last February the community radio sector launched an orchestrated campaign regarding their 'Digital Doomsday', claiming that if they don't receive another $1.4 million annually in government funding they will have to shut down their digital platforms. Promoting an 'action day' today, today Adrian Basso, President of the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia, told theMusic.com.au said they weren't concerned their plight would be dwarfed by other government announcements.

“Yesterday we had 8,000 people on the [Commit To Community Radio] website and today we've got 18,000,” he said. “It's going off on social media.”

The media spotlight is on itself after yesterday's media reform announcement by Federal Minister For Communications Stephen Conroy and the CMAA are looking to be involved in those frantic discussions. While the reforms are yet to be examined completely, Basso today pointed out that the government plans to continue its TV license rebate, which will save free to air television an estimated $134 million.

“It's worth noting that our request is only $1.4 million”, he said.

“We've had a meeting with the minister's office, with one of the advisors, early on. There's also individual stations who have been in contact with their local MPs. We hope to talk a bit more with the minister… But this is a public campaign to display the grassroots of community radio.”

The media reform plan placed an emphasis on media diversity and today Basso said, “Certainly community radio plays a part in that diversity… we cover local issues that other media often don't.”

The CBAA will also be keeping an on the announcement of the National Cultural Policy, which will be announced by Arts Minister Simon Crean at 12.30pm today.

“It will be interesting to see the dollar figure that will be attached,” Basso said. “Often we're under the radar and taken for granted by the upper echelon, this is the first time we've really rallied as a sector.”