Senator the Hon Helen Coonan
Minister for Communications,
Information Technology
and the Arts

Community Broadcasting

Video address to Community Broadcasting Association of Australia National Conference

Surfers Paradise
26 November 2004

Good morning.

I'm sorry I can't be with you today in person, but thank you for the opportunity to address your National Conference.

The Howard Government is a strong supporter of the community broadcasting sector.

More than any previous Government, this Government has demonstrated its commitment to a healthy and vibrant community broadcasting sector and we have worked hard over the last eight and a half years to support the sector and make it more sustainable.

The sector is unique in the broadcasting industry for its diversity, independence and commitment to providing the community with a platform for expressing views and ideas.

It is characterised by:

- the enormous number of volunteers who participate in the delivery of community broadcasting services;
- the range of specialist needs and interests it caters for, including ethnic, indigenous and print-handicapped services;
- its delivery of training in broadcasting skills to thousands of Australians;
- its local focus; and
- its significant rural, regional and remote reach.

Government support

I am sure that you are all as delighted as I am with the news that the Government has committed an additional
$8.2 million to your sector over the next four years.

As you would know, this funding is specifically for increased transmission costs support and a community broadcasting training fund, which are two of the areas the sector identified as a priority.

Once these funds are secured through the Additional Estimates budget process the funding will be delivered to the sector through the Community Broadcasting Foundation.

I would anticipate that funds will be available from April 2005.

This additional funding is a substantial increase which will make a real difference.

It will bring the sector's total annual funding to approximately $7.5 million per annum, which is almost double the funding in real terms for the community broadcasting sector since the Howard Government came to office.

Your sector has many very strong advocates amongst Members of Parliament.

Many of you would have met your local member during the election campaign, and had an opportunity to discuss community broadcasting issues especially in rural, regional and remote areas.

Since being appointed Minister for Communications I have had the opportunity to visit community broadcasters in several States.

This has given me a first-hand look at the types of facilities you have and the challenges you face, and has helped me to gain a better appreciation of the sector.

I understand that many community broadcasters operate on tight budgets and rely on the skills and time of volunteers to minimise operational costs.

Broadcasting infrastructure costs

Broadcasting infrastructure costs present a significant challenge to community broadcasters.

This is why the additional funding for transmission costs support will greatly assist many stations to remain financially viable.

My expectation is that this funding will make increased funds available for a wider range of transmission costs than are subsidised by the existing transmission subsidy scheme, including supporting the purchase of transmission-related equipment.

This means that more of the valuable funds you raise yourselves can be put towards your main focus, which is providing content to your listeners.

We can have the best transmission and technical services in community broadcasting, but the future of the sector lies in the people.

Training fund

This is why the Government has also provided funding to establish a training fund.

The training fund will allow the sector to deliver nationally accredited training in broadcast skills and station management, particularly in rural, regional and remote Australia .

It will also target groups with specific needs such as ethnic broadcasters, Indigenous broadcasters and Radio for the Print Handicapped.

In recognition of the number of community radio stations in regional, rural and remote areas-which is over 70 per cent of all radio stations-and the high cost of delivering training in these areas, the Government expects the bulk of the training funds to be used to provide training in these areas.

Community radio

The good news about the Government's increased support for the community broadcasting sector follows the release of the results of your McNair Ingenuity National Community Radio Listener Survey .

This survey confirmed what the sector has known for a long time.

That the sector has a large following around Australia , and for some people community radio is their preference.

This is a huge pat on the back for the service you provide your listeners.

I was very pleased to launch the results of the survey at the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia headquarters in Sydney in September.

The event generated a lot of interest with the media and stimulated debate within the wider radio industry.

The results are impressive.

More than three million Australians aged over 15 listen to community radio each week.

And more than seven million Australians aged over 15 listen to community radio in a typical month.

Diversity of programming, be it music or information, was the key reason given for listening to community radio.

Local content was another key theme which emerged, especially for listeners in rural and regional areas who place a high value on access to local news and information.

Community radio plays a particularly important role in this regard. For some rural and regional communities, and indigenous communities, it may be their main media source.

The survey results signal a bright future for the sector and they will be an excellent reference source for some time to come.

I am told that building on the success of this research, Griffith University has secured a grant from the Australian Research Council to conduct a qualitative research project.

Griffith University will look at the nature and diversity of the community broadcasting audiences, perceptions of existing community media, and the value to the community of community broadcasting.

I am particularly pleased that the research team will concentrate on the development of research methods that fit the community broadcasting sector's diversity.

I urge all stations to get behind the project and assist the researchers wherever possible.

With your help and cooperation, the research will produce valuable information for stations, the Government and the community generally.

Community television

It has also been a big year for community television, with four licences being issued earlier in the year.

Long-term community television licences have been issued in Brisbane , Sydney , Melbourne and Perth , and the Australian Broadcasting Authority has advertised for long-term licences in the Adelaide and Lismore markets.

The Government is conscious of the expensive nature of running a television service and it is hoped that the new licensing framework will bring more stability to the sector and allow for more sponsors to come on board.

Digitisation

Digitisation is an issue which broadcasters are obviously very interested in, and the community sector is no exception.

It is an important phenomenon across the Australian economy, and clearly no more so than in the communications and information industries.

As far as television is concerned, the transition to digital is well advanced.

Digital terrestrial television services are now available in all metropolitan and regional licence areas, with about
90 per cent of the Australian population having access to such services.

The Government is committed to working with the community television sector to develop an appropriate framework for the transition to digital services.

As we have said previously, this framework will be considered in the context of broader issues relating to digital television, including the process for switching off analog services.

Many of the benefits available through the introduction of digital television can also potentially be provided by digital radio.

These include new and improved services for consumers and greater incentives for innovation.

However, there are a number of characteristics of the radio sector which are not replicated in television.

Radio provides for high levels of diversity, in both the types of services provided and their ownership.

A key element of this diversity is a strong and vibrant community broadcasting sector, with almost 350 stations Australia-wide.

Radio plays a unique and important role in fostering a sense of community in Australia .

It plays an important role in developing and reflecting a sense of Australian identity, character and cultural diversity.

Because radio is everywhere.

Radios are in every home, car and workplace in the country.

Australians are avid-yet shrewd-radio listeners and typically spend large amounts of time listening to both local and national radio services.

Implementation of digital radio

The factors unique to radio in the analog environment will clearly influence the nature and form of the introduction of digital services in Australia .

Over the past 12 months the Government has been examining digital radio issues.

The Government is committed to working in partnership with industry and stakeholders-including community broadcasters-to develop the most appropriate framework for the introduction of digital radio in Australia .

The report of the Digital Radio Study Group and a discussion paper will be released soon and submissions from interested parties on issues associated with the introduction of digital radio will-of course-be most welcome.

There is a lot of work to do in this area.

Further work will be done by the Australian Broadcasting Authority and the Australian Communications Authority on the availability and performance of VHF and L-Band spectrum.

We will then have a more detailed understanding of the number and characteristics of the digital services that could be made available in the short to medium term.

This will be critical in determining an implementation strategy for digital radio.

The Government also recognises the contribution incumbent commercial broadcasters will make in the digital future.

We have therefore provided a commitment to a five year moratorium on the issue of new licence-area planned commercial digital radio licences.

This moratorium will commence once technology and spectrum issues are resolved and a timetable set for the rollout of digital radio services.

It is important that the Government give all stakeholders the opportunity to contribute to the policy development process and this includes the community broadcasting sector.

There are a number of important choices to be made with respect to digital radio in Australia , not least of which is the model for introduction of the digital platform.

The policy development process will be informed by the information emerging from the current trials of the Eureka
147 technology.

These trials are being undertaken by consortiums established by Commercial Radio Australia and Broadcast Australia in Sydney and Melbourne respectively.

The Government has made clear that it supports the conduct of trials of digital radio technology in Australia and I applaud the recent inclusion of the community broadcasting sector in both the Sydney and Melbourne trials.

I would strongly encourage the members of the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia to put forward their views on the implementation of digital radio as part of the consultation process.

I would also welcome your involvement in the studies of spectrum and technology issues to be co-ordinated by the Australian Broadcasting Authority and Australian Communications Authority.

Merger of the Australian Broadcasting Authority and Australian Communications Authority

As industry members you would all know that in May the Government announced the merger of the Australian Broadcasting Authority and Australian Communications Authority to form the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) by 1 July 2005.

The development of digital technologies has resulted in previously distinct industry sectors now competing across increasingly convergent markets using a range of different delivery platforms.

It is becoming increasingly difficult and inefficient for two separate regulators to respond to this changing environment.

The ability of 3G mobile devices to connect to the Internet and receive and deliver audiovisual content, through, for example, multimedia messaging services, is an early example of converged services raising regulatory issues for the Government.

As it stands, the regulation of these converged services is split between the Australian Broadcasting Authority and the Australian Communications Authority.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority will be an organisation better placed to address the rapid change brought by convergence and to advise the Government on regulatory issues arising from these changes.

The ACMA will be responsible for regulating broadcasting, radio communications, online content and telecommunications.

The establishment of the ACMA is an important response to the impact of convergence on communications regulation and I look forward to continuing to work with stakeholders, including the community broadcasting sector, on its successful implementation.

Conclusion

You have a lot to be proud of in community broadcasting and there is a lot of exciting work ahead of us.

This conference provides an opportunity for you to come together to share experiences and ideas, to discuss new and innovative ways of operating and to plan for the future.

Your sector truly typifies all that is good about the Australian character: service to community, working together to meet common goals, striving for excellence, and a commitment to diversity and creativity.

Community broadcasting contributes to the strength and vibrancy of our nation and the Howard Government is very pleased to support it.

I wish you well for your conference and look forward to continuing to work with you in the future.

Thank you.