2019 Annual Report
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Community Broadcasting Foundation Annual Report 2019 Contents Our Vision 2 Our Organisation 3 Community Broadcasting Snapshot 4 President and CEO Report 5 Our Board 6 Our People 7 Achieving our Strategic Priorities 8 Strengthening & Extending Community Broadcasting 9 Content Grants 10 Development & Operational Grants 14 Sector Investment 18 Grants Allocated 21 Financial Highlights 38 Cover: Mia Armitage from Bay FM. Image credit Raegan Glazner. Our sincere thanks to James Walshe from James Walshe Photography for his generous support photographing the CBF Board and Support Team. The CBF acknowledges First Nations’ sovereignty and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities by Traditional owners of Country throughout Australia. We pay our respects to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures; and to Elders both past and present. We support and contribute to the process of reconciliation. Annual Report 2019 1 Our Vision A voice for every community – sharing our stories. 3ONE team at outside broadcast. Annual Report 2019 2 Our organisation is a proud This year, we have granted more than $19.7 million to help 216 Our Values Our organisations communicate, connect and share knowledge champion of community media Values are the cornerstone of our community-based through radio, television and digital media. – Australia’s largest independent organisation, informing our decision-making. Organisation Our grants support media – developed for and by the Community-minded media sector. From major cities community – that celebrates creativity, diversity, and We care. to remote communities, we multiculturalism. Community media provides access to those help people to create, support under-represented in other media and amplifies the voices of Collaborative those fighting for social justice. We help to create connection We listen and work together. and listen to local, independent and belonging through the community broadcasting Inclusive media. Our funding helps to sector including for First Nations, ethnic, and print-disabled Australians. Community media celebrates localism and the We embrace and celebrate diversity. connect people across the value that place and identity play in our lives, particularly in Trusted country, including nearly six rural, regional and remote communities. We work with integrity. million people who tune in to their local community-owned and operated radio station weekly. Most importantly, our grants help create a stronger society based on greater participation, engagement and cohesion. Robert Lee, Mariah Malo and Beryl Forrest, Wangki Radio. Image credit Wayne Bynder. Annual Report 2019 3 Community Broadcasting + Snapshot 466 22,500 current community volunteers bring community media to life. broadcasting licences. 76% $249M of stations broadcast in regional given in grants by the Community Broadcasting and remote Australia. Foundation since 1984. 65% 13,891 of content is locally produced. hours of specialist programming broadcast on stations each week. 5.9M+ $674M Australians listen to community contributed annually to the economy by the community radio each week. broadcasting sector, including volunteer efforts. Annual Report 2019 4 This year our Solar for Stations Our Board will determine how to best “It has been a privilege President campaign successfully partnered with invest the funds remaining to support 2EAR, 5YYY and Umeewarra Radio to the long-term sustainability of stations to lead the Community and CEO Report secure funding to install solar systems. next year. Broadcasting Foundation We were delighted to see further success from this campaign as it drew Responding to community needs for the past seven years. to a close. We regularly invite feedback and I sincerely thank our We also continued our partnership engage with sector organisations with the Northern Territory Government to receive comment and share their dedicated volunteers on their Towards Zero road safety experiences. This understanding at assessor, advisory campaign, securing $10,000 for is critical to ensure we strategically Yolŋu Radio. invest in projects that advance committee and Board levels community media and meet the for their contribution to the We understand that growing income is evolving needs of audiences. the key to helping community media work of the Community thrive well into the future. Aligned This year we confirmed investment with this, we determined a fundraising of an additional $2 million in various Broadcasting Foundation, approach that would produce the major projects drawn from an Australian best return on investment without Government funding commitment as well as our Support Team competing with existing corporate and of $12 million. over four years arising for their extraordinary care philanthropic support for community from the 2017 Australian Media Reforms. Peter Batchelor and Ian Stanistreet. media. We partnered with fundraising The commitment included multi-year and commitment. consultants, Wendy Brooks & Partners, funding for the Enhanced National Community support for local media Grants to refine our fundraising strategy and News Project, National Training Program I look forward to celebrating continues to grow which is a credit develop the resources necessary to (funding for management Our dedicated team of 126 volunteer to the people driving the success put cases for support to philanthropists, and business skills), a proposed content the continued success of Grant Assessors reviewed more than of Australian community media – its trusts and foundations. multi-platform distribution project (refer 580 applications this year, while our community media as a CBF dedicated team of paid employees and to page 19 for more information) and Grants Advisory Committees collectively more than 22,500 volunteers. This new approach funded from additional support funding for spent weeks forming grant and policy supporter and member of We admire the commitment of everyone company reserves, combined with a digital radio. recommendations for our Board. The involved in bringing community media brand review that commenced this community media’s growing contributions of these volunteer teams to life and through it the growing year, will help position our organisation These projects are an important way we were outstanding – we simply couldn’t audience. I wish incoming connection and sense of belonging that to develop increased support for are helping to build station resilience. operate as an organisation without them. unites and amplifies community voices. community media in the future. President Ian Hamm every Our leadership team Requests for support continue to We proudly invested more than $19.7 Investing in the future of success in his new role.” outweigh the funds available. This year, million to support 216 organisations Our Board continued to lead decision- in excess of $31 million in support was community media throughout the year. This funding was making on governance and strategic sought. This strong demand reflects the Peter Batchelor, retiring CBF President. a $2.8 million increase on last year, We are always working to ensure direction in another busy year and we low resource levels that characterise thanks largely to additional government our funding helps Australian community sincerely thank all Board members community media and confirms our funding arising from the 2017 Australian media meet the evolving needs for their tireless commitment and the need to increase sector resources by Government Media Reform Package. of audiences. diverse skills they bring. We also warmly attracting philanthropic support. welcome Ian Hamm who will take over This funding has supported life- One of the priorities this year was the reigns as President in July. changing projects, helping broadcasters Growing funding helping stations impacted by ACMA’s communicate, connect and share reorganisation of the 800Mhz Spectrum Growing the resources we have knowledge through independent Band to ensure they could continue available to support community media is media. With the broader media broadcasting. Support was available for a key strategic priority. landscape transforming, it’s an honour all stations needing new transmission Peter Batchelor Ian Stanistreet to strengthen the important role of linking equipment due to spectrum President CEO community media in Australia through changes, with ACMA’s spectrum Ian Hamm (incoming President) and Peter Batchelor. our grants. reorganisation process now concluded. Annual Report 2019 5 Our organisation is very fortunate This year, our Sector-Nominated Board With Peter’s impending retirement Our to have a diverse team who bring members Ellie Rennie and Luchi Santer a public recruitment process was were reappointed for further terms. Kim undertaken in conjunction with the CBAA Board a wealth of skills and knowledge Borrowdale was also reappointed as an that led to Ian Hamm’s recommendation to our Board including expertise Independent Board Director for a further for the position being considered and three-year term. approved by the CBF Board. We are in governance, strategy, law, very pleased to welcome Ian to the CBF Finally, after seven outstanding years Board as our new President in July. finance and technology. leading our organisation, our President Peter Batchelor retired at the end of June. In his time as President, Peter This collective experience provided exemplary leadership through ensures our organisation a period of significant organisational change. His broad