Government Pledges An Extra $6 Million For Community Radio

After months of uncertainty, community radio organisations around Australia are rejoicing this morning with the news that the Federal Government has today agreed to $6 million of funding over three years to ensure the survival of community radio and, more specifically, their digital future.

This future of digital broadcasting in the community radio sector was threatened by a shortfall of funding created after the 2012 Federal Budget, which saw them receive only $2.2 million of funding, well below the request $3.6 million requested.

The Community Broadcasting Association of Australia (CBAA) launched a community campaign to pressure the government into ensuring community radio's future by increasing the funding originally promised.

“The alternative for us if we don't get the money is scaling back services, which would involve turning off cities,” CBAA president Adrian Basso told us in February. “You can't just dim the lights bit by bit, you've got to turn off whole capital cities.”

Today Basso was singing a far happier tune, with the extra $6 million pledged by the government ensuring the future of digital broadcasting in the community sector. In a statement issued by the CBAA this morning, the president was quick to thank the community for their support of the grassroots campaign launched earlier this year.

“Thanks to the tens of thousands of people who stood up and showed just how important community radio is to communities right across Australia, community radio now has a digital future,” Mr Basso said.

“It's fantastic that the Federal Government has listened to the needs of the community and delivered the funding required to keep digital community radio services up and running. This is a sign that the Federal Government is serious about supporting media diversity in Australia.

“There's been a long-standing government commitment to ensuring community broadcasting has affordable access to digital platforms. This announcement makes good on those commitments. Supporters of the Commit to Community Radio campaign sent tens of thousands of emails to politicians calling on them to commit to giving community radio services a secure future, and they've finally delivered.”

Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy today confirmed the additional $6 million investment in community radio

“This new funding will help community radio stations in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth to continue broadcasting, upgrade their equipment and improve their digital radio services,” Senator Conroy said.

“Radio stations like FBI Radio in Sydney, 3RRR in Melbourne, Perth's RTRFM, Fresh Digital in Adelaide and Brisbane's ZED Digital are critical independent voices in the radio landscape whose future is now secured.

“Nearly four and a half million Australians tune into community radio every week. Digital radio offers new opportunities for broadcasters and listeners, and this funding will support the innovative and diverse local services provided by community broadcasters.

“This continues our ongoing commitment to community broadcasting and brings the Government's total funding of digital community radio to $28.9 million.”

It is believed that over 43,000 Australians took part in the Commit To Community Radio campaign, which saw Senator Conroy trading words in a public discussion with chart-topping Aussie musician Gotye.