THE ETHNIC BROADCASTER Journal of the National Ethnic and Multicultural Broadcasters’ Council Winter 2004 Inside An antidote on air: people power wins at 2XX Channel 31 Sydney: the end of an era? Victor Marillanca celebrates 28 years in broadcasting Special feature Election year: how to make sure your voice gets heard and much more President’s Pen: Renewal and steady growth The Ethnic Broadcaster Following our last Conference and the Winter 2004 changes to our Constitution, the NEMBC objective for renewal and growth in all areas and especially on its leading body, Contents the NEMBC Executive, has been given a huge boost. 3 An antidote on air: people power wins at 2XX The number of young people on the 4 Channel 31 Sydney: the end of an era? Executive has increased from one to three. Four members of our Executive represent new, emerging or 6 Election Year Feature refugee communities. The number of women has doubled, from three to seven. There are now equal Irena Grant gets heard numbers of men and women on the NEMBC Executive. The great majority of Executive members are well under What will you do to make sure your voice the age of 50. gets heard? At its most recent meeting (19-20 June), the Executive Community broadcasting: your local voice decided to maintain, on a long term basis, the recently created Youth Coordinator position and also to create a Members’ guide to election year lobbying new, part time, Membership Officer position. The Executive felt it was necessary to build on the good work ‘Our Voices, Our Visions’ - what’s in the kit? already done, and to do more. 10 Our website has changed The Executive also decided to apply for funds to the 11 CBF News Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs to continue the New and Emerging Communities Project in 12 Youth Feature another state. Funding for this one-off project in Victoria comes to an end in August. This project has been of Plug-In Report and publicity great value to broadcasters from new communities, thanks also to the dedicated work of the Co-ordinator, Youth Coordinator tours regional Victoria Indira Narayan. Stand by for a visit from the Youth Committee! The Executive, having reviewed over a long time the progress of the NEMBC funded Ethnic News Digest 16 Members’ News services, has concluded that this program has enabled broadcasters to become more aware of the need for Siberian Cossacks visit 7WMR Australian news items and stories, and the variety of news available to them – in English and other languages. Sharing the world with 4EB The Executive believes that broadcasters have become What’s new at Logan City? more self-sufficient, as evidenced by the declining requests for the use of the Ethnic News Digest. Out and about with Neo Voices At its last meeting the Executive therefore decided to Congratulations Victor Marillanca discontinue the END in its “ready to read” form, but to maintain on our website relevant information – including An effective voice resource people for news and commentary. Funds not expended on the END will now go towards the financing AERTP in Brisbane of the Youth Coordinator/Membership Officer work. AERTP: an important update Better service for members, and more members of the NEMBC is the great constant. We are all aware that while One Member’s story – and rightfully – all ethnic broadcasters and their stations benefit from the outcomes of the NEMBC’s struggles for a Many Cultures, One Future better deal, not all ethnic broadcasters have taken the 24 NEMBC Executive and Committee meetings step to join the organisation (NEMBC) which fights on their behalf as well. While increasing membership is a 26 AMARC News: Radio voices without frontiers responsibility of all in the NEMBC, the creation of the Membership Officer position – with some ability to travel 27 Emerging Communities’ news interstate – it is hoped will act as a catalyst. 28 Telling stories In the pages of this issue the question of the coming federal election, and lobbying for the restoration of the 32 2004 Membership Drive training money, and an increase in general funding, is dealt with at length. I urge you all to be campaigning for 34 Conference 2004 Ethnic Community Broadcasting with all your strength and imagination. 35 Community service announcements George Zangalis, NEMBC President Cover image: People-powered 2XX - still on air. (See story on facing page.) an antidote on air people power wins at 2XX ‘The irrationality of a thing is no argument against its Until 1999, transmission services used to be run by existence, rather a condition of it’ the Department of Communications. Since that time - Friedrich Nietzsche (Human, All-Too-Human 515) transmission costs have also risen and now the services are regulated by commercial contracts, regardless of whether clients are commercial or Community radio 2XX FM was off air from 3rd May till 5th community based. May 2004. Unable to pay $30,000 owed to the broadcast transmission monopolist Broadcast Australia, 2XX FM In this corporate world, 28 years of community service came under its axe. could be easily ignored by the moral principles of the Broadcast Australia’s capitalist corpocrats whose Years ago when I joined 2XX, I remember telling my myopic view stands on organisational performance and dad that he could hear me on the radio as I now have a not on purpose and consequence. show on Friday nights at Canberra’s 98.3FM. As any typical conservative bourgeois he did not seem to be As Senator Kate Lundy (Shadow Arts Minister) points interested in the radio frequency or the station. His out, “Broadcast Australia are quite arrogant in the fact skepticism rested on a smirk, that they effectively have a monopoly in Canberra. -“another left!” They charge community radio stations what they charge them because community radio stations can’t I replied, “I would say, we are the alternative”. go to air unless they go to Broadcast Australia.” The fact is that since 1976, 2XX has been a fearless However, the good news is that still there is enough messenger of the Canberra community in providing an strength in the community to strike back in vigor on its alternative antidote to commercial media. A stern critic ideals and prove that you can unplug our air waves, but of multinationals and monopolist power, its presenters not our courage for solidarity as over $26,000 in have always dared to speak the truth of the struggles subscriptions and donations have been raised to date, of the community and of the deprived. and unofficial moral support has been provided from the Local ACT Government and the federal opposition. It is also a fact, that it takes $250,000 a year to keep the station on air. Despite partial indexation, the So the moral of the story is, if you are a community Australian Government assistance for community radio and in debt at least have plans on how to write an broadcasting development has declined in real terms article if you know things might get sticky. In other by 6% since the introduction of targeted funding in words, let’s be rational and make sure when it comes 1996/97. Almost 200 new community radio licences to issues of funding the government needs to be aware have been made available since the last major of the condition that we are in and the community government increase in funding, however funding on a support we have. per station basis has fallen by more than 40%. Thus, when it comes to pay $30,000 for transmission 2XX is in urgent need of new studio equipment. costs, Indra Esguerra (Station Manager: 2XX) states, If your station is upgrading, and is able to give any “I think it’s an exhorbitant amount. Sure commercial assistance (CD players, cassette decks, consoles, stations can afford to pay it but small community radio etc), please contact Indra Esguerra, Station Manager, stations like us can’t afford to pay it unless the on 02 6230 0100, or [email protected] government is going to subsidise it”. The Ethnic Broadcaster, Winter 2004 - 3 Multicultural Radio Association of Sydney (full-time ethnic radio station 2000FM). According to (former) ABA Chair Professor David Flint, the decision to allocate the permanent licence to TVS was made on the grounds of community participation: “The ABA acknowledges CTS’ lengthy Channel 31 Sydney: commitment to community television over the years. However, the Authority was of the view that TVS has demonstrated, to a higher the end of an era? degree than CTS, that it has established avenues through which members of the community may participate in the operations and programming of the proposed service.” After ten years of broadcasting on Sydney’s UHF 31, This is a decision that has caused great confusion to Community Television Sydney (CTS) went to air for the CTS. Community participation is what CTS considers last time on March 19. The day before, the Australian to be its first principle. Their website, which still Broadcasting Authority (ABA) allocated the permanent features a program guide (see below), makes a public community TV licence to a new consortium, Television statement expressing their outrage. It poses a number Sydney (TVS). Overnight, dozens of ethnic programs of questions, including: vanished, and even though TVS will not be prepared to broadcast until early 2005, no interim arrangement has “How can [the ABA] reject the only genuine been made to allow CTS and its communities to community TV group that has over 90% of all remain on air. How and did this happen? Why? And Sydney’s community television groups as a what happens to the ethnic broadcasters? part of its membership?” The seemingly sudden decision is all about the way CTS’s spokesperson, Salvatore Scevola, recently that the Channel 31 licence had been classified by the spoke to ABC’s Media Report.