Ethnic Community Broadcasting

• Australia’s largest multilingual institution - spanning the nation
• Reaches people and places where no other broadcaster can
• Builds communities and contributes to social cohesion
• Involves, empowers and trains thousands of volunteers
• Delivers cost effective news, information and entertainment

....Yet Government funding has not increased for over 11 years.
Ethnic Community Broadcasting is a champion of multiculturalism and
for over 30 years has helped shape multiculturalism in Australian society.

TO BUILD SOCIAL COHESION AND COMBAT RACISM
AN INCREASE IN FUNDING
IS A REAL COMMITMENT TO MULTICULTURALISM

The Need for Content Production

Local content production is the backbone of community media. Ethnic community broadcasters produce programs, which provide a lifeline to Australia’s culturally diverse population. Support for ontent production is vital to sustain programs, as tated in the full submission to government from the community radio sector.

Increased support for content production will assist the vast army of volunteers in 130 community stations to provide this essential service. Funding for content production has assisted ethnic community broadcasting to play a critical role in building a harmonious multicultural Australia. Today ethnic community broadcasting includes: 130 radio stations (including 6 full-time ethnic stations).

1. Over 2,000 hours of ethnic community broadcasting each week.

2. Over 3,000 volunteers from 125 distinct cultural groups.

3. Broadcasts in 100 languages across metropolitan, regional and country Australia.

4. With no increase in funding for 11 years, community broadcasters are asking why the
government does not value this vital service. Under the Howard Government, support remained stagnant for 10 years and Labor is yet to live up to it’s initial promises of
increased funding.

There are many challenges facing ethnic community radio stations and broadcasters. Last year, for the first time, there was a decline of over 400 language programs, from 2,439 to 2,027.

5. Changing migration trends mean new services are needed for new and emerging communities. This means new radio programs in urban and rural areas that need to be accommodated and funded. The introduction of digital radio will mean more pressure to develop new content and provide training to adjust to the new technologies.

Who to contact?

The Australian Federal Government Expenditure Review Committee (ERC) meets to consider the major new policy and savings proposals, and recommends to the Cabinet those proposals that it wants included in the Budget each year. The priority setting and Budget decision processes usually occur between September each year and the following May.

The Queensland member for the electorate of Lilley is a Member of the ERC:

The Hon. Wayne Swan MP, Treasurer
PO Box 182, Nundah Qld 4012
Ph: (07) 3266 4263 Fax: (07) 3266 8244
Email: Wayne.Swan.MP@aph.gov.au or ministerial@treasury.gov.au

Below is a draft letter that could be sent to your local politician to highlight the needs within our community as well as general information about Ethnic Community Broadcasting.