The Wire

The community broadcasting sector has produced a grand 5 year plan which aims to build on the strengths of community broadcasting and make stations important digital hubs in their communities It’s a plan with a price tag – not huge by the standards of what gets handed out to other media sectors, but quite a jump from what the sector currently receives in government funding. Communications Minister Senator Stephen Conroy says that although the sector is highly valued and already receives a degree of funding, it’s not the ABC and was not set up to depend on government money for its running costs, so the answer is no, although he said his government if reelected will be happy to have more discussions in the leadup to next year’s Budget. CBAA president Deb Welch says she’s disappointed by Labor’s attitude, particularly as the community sector already supplies 90% of its own running costs and has suffered a decline in the amount of core funding it does receive from the government.