Winter 2003 Edition oadcasters’ Council National Ethnic and Multicultural Br Special Edition: Youth 2003 Broadcaster Inside: Youth Mini-Conference Ethnic OXYGEN FM: Sharing the Air with You Tongan Youth Radio gets off the ground and When is a survey not a survey? The A radio station of our own: the African community in Australia PRESIDENT’S PEN Contents BIG CHALLENGES AHEAD Ethnic community broadcasters, and 3 Youth Mini-Conference their communities, throughout Australia will be facing some formidable 5 Tongan Youth Radio gets off the ground challenges in the months and year Getting your story into the media ahead: 6 OXYGEN FM: Sharing the Air With You a) the capacity and ability to respond even better to community demands for more and increasingly News You Can Use diverse programming, to meet the needs of the first generation and those of the second and third, as well 7 3ZZZ Youth News as getting on board new and emerging communities 8 Station News within already congested and competing airtime limitations; 2NBC b) but an even bigger and unfortunately threatening 2MCE challenge is the possibility that the 25-year-old 3ZZZ bipartisan political support for modest funding for 6EBA ethnic community broadcasting may be replaced in Radio Adelaide the next triennium by a more “targeted” approach, which will exclude funding for many communities 12 Our own radio station: the African and/or sections within them. community in Australia The non-funding of the AERTP – a most successful and 13 NEMBC welcomes Güler Shaw & Esther economical broadcaster training program – has sent a Anatolitis chilly message as to what kind of weather we are likely to sail into in the immediate future. 14 When is a survey not a survey? The NEMBC cannot contemplate the prospect of 15 PCR-FM vABA: at the Federal Court volunteers – mostly unwaged young people and pensioners – who give so much of their time and often money – facing the unpalatable choice of paying big money for providing an essential UNPAID community service, or walking away. It should be noted that government funding covers no To assist the campaign the NEMBC, in cooperation with more than 20% of what it takes to run ethnic community stations, will produce video and audio promotional broadcasting. The rest of the money is raised and paid material, and printed notes for broadcasters to use in for by volunteers and their communities. A small price for their programs and in planned interviews with any government for multilingual, multicultural services. community leaders and politicians. These issues will feature prominently before and during the December The NEMBC will campaign vigorously for government NEMBC Conference. funding for all ethnic community broadcasting, and the reasons for it. May I take this opportunity to welcome our new Administration and Ethnic News Digest Coordinator The campaign will involve broadcasters, their Esther Anatolitis, and look forward to an amicable and communities and all those who value the principles of productive cooperation. multiculturalism and volunteerism. Ethnic community broadcasting is, above all, about the benefits and the George Zangalis power of diversity in information and language/culture NEMBC President maintenance. Cover photo: Vasso Zangalis and Ailini Steen. Photo by Darce Cassidy. youth Mini-Conference “Friday I was interested in radio, come Sunday afternoon I was passionate.” —Ailini Steen, Tonga Youth Radio, 5EBI The need to increase the delegates so that we would have principal users of broadcast training participation of young people two young ethnic broadcasters from in our sector. The future of training in Ethnic Community Radio each state. The role of the new in ethnic radio, and particularly its has been one of the impact on youth, was major concerns of the therefore another major NEMBC in recent issue for discussion. years. Given that the station This year the drive to managers play a key role increase youth both in training at their participation moved into stations, and in recruiting high gear. The NEMBC new broadcasters, Executive has decided to managers from the major appoint a part-time Youth ethnic community stations Coordinator. This were also invited. decision followed a move TRAINING by 3ZZZ in Melbourne to appoint a Youth Coordinator would be an youth coordinator and coincided The conference reaffirmed the important item on the agenda. with plans by 5EBI in Adelaide to value of the Australian Ethnic Radio significantly increase the hours of There has been another major Training Project as a scheme youth-specific broadcasts in their development affecting youth specially tailored for ethnic new program schedule. participation in ethnic radio. The broadcasters. It noted that the government has stopped funding failure to support the training of new Having made an in principle the Australian Ethnic Radio Training broadcasters was inconsistent with decision to appoint a Youth Project. This will have a particular the government’s stated aim of Coordinator, the next step was to impact on young people who, along increasing the participation of call together the NEMBC Youth with members of new, emerging young people and members of new Committee. On this occasion it was and refugee communities, are the and emerging communities. decided to invite additional youth The Ethnic Broadcaster, Winter 2003 - 3 The conference resolved to reject a ACTION PLANNING promotion and encouraging new user-pays model for training and to radio listeners and participants. The second day of the conference continue to press for the funding of was spent in developing a mission The resourcing group requested an the AERTP. Noting that the statement and a series of action annual budget from the NEMBC drought, the bushfires and the Iraq plans. large enough to provide for one war were some of the reasons face-to-face meeting of the given for a very tight budget in The mission statement was arrived committee every year, plus up to 2003, the conference took the view at quickly, simply and unanimously. two teleconferences. They also that there was more chance of a The Youth Committee’s mission is looked at opportunities sympathetic reaction for funding from from the government in sources other than the 2004, particularly since NEMBC, and the this is likely to be an opportunities for election year. nationally coordinated YOUTH projects and campaigns COORDINATOR which will become possible though the Following the NEMBC’s appointment of the decision to appoint a Youth Coordinator. part time Youth Coordinator in 2003-4, the delegates devoted a session of the conference to a discussion of the to increase the participation of role of the Youth Coordinator. The young people in ethnic community “Seize the opportunity – steal the conference recommended that the radio. limelight.” Youth Coordinator: Action plans were developed under —Jagdeep • Facilitate communication three broad headings – “Is there money in the budget for between the youth committee Communication, Publicity and beer?” and young ethnic broadcasters Resources. —Anthony • Work in partnership with station The group developing the “Jag plays a mean tabla.” managers and youth communications action plan —Marteen coordinators working in proposed a more effective use of “There’s way too much pressure to community stations the NEMBC website, including a say something funny.” bulletin board devoted to youth • Ensure that young people in —Kai issues, links with other youth and regional and remote areas are multicultural organisations, and a “There are more lunatics out there supported regular newsletter. Vida Karabuva like me – yeah!” • Work with the youth committee to (6EBA) agreed to become the initial —Vida make sure it is an effective policy editor of the newsletter. “I have my two cents, which was committee The group looking at better really only worth one.” • Seek additional funding to make promotion of youth participation —Tewell the position ongoing, and full proposed a logo and poster “The youth committee meeting is a time. competition, business cards for fantastic, awesome, youth committee members and The Youth Coordinator position will unforgettable… party, and a above all using our own medium, be advertised shortly and a positive step towards the future of radio, to more effectively promote representative of the Youth young people in community radio.” youth radio. Another strategy Committee will be on the selection —Adam committee. proposed was to get involved with other non-broadcasting community “Oh my god, you were born on the groups through festivals and other same date as me?! I want to marry events, taking advantage of cross- you!” —Joanne 4 - The Ethnic Broadcaster, Winter 2003 Tongan Youth Radio gets off the ground On Friday 4 July 2003 at 3.30–4pm, an historic event (at least for the Tongan Community Radio of SA Inc.) occurred in the chapter of community radio in SA. For the first time in Adelaide, the Tonga Youth Radio, or the TYRadio, broadcast their first program on 5EBI 103.1FM. After almost a year of training and practical work to get the right skills for operating, producing program and broadcasting, they finally go to air. Rubina and ‘Ailini started the community broadcasting course in March 2002, followed by Losa in July 2002, and Naomi is just about to complete her training with a practical hands-on production of a program on 5 July, 2003. The TYTeam. From L to R: ‘Ailini Steen, Rubina Carlson, The Tongan Community Radio of SA, a member of the Naomi Tupola, and Losa Bloomfield (seated) 5EBI radio group, is very proud of the youths’ achievements and dedication to training, as well as In 2004, the main project for the TYRadio is a trip to volunteering their time to look at ways of dealing with Tonga around June 28 – 16 July to record programs in youth identities, and intergenerational and cultural the Heilala Festival – an annual Tongan cultural issues through radio.