Today I'd like to share my first foray into more professional writing. Below is my first article published for FBi 94.5FM, a Sydney youth radio network.
The article below draws on several of my drafts and reflects my own editing but none of my editor at FBi. Basically for the 'Rightz' blog I wanted to preserve my own voice not someone else's, even if it is superior.
The processing of drafting and editing for a professional publication was a huge learning curve for me and one I think I'm going to enjoy. Writing has always been a personal endeavour and now I've found a much more social, interactive process I think I can only improve.
You can check out the final article on FBi's website. Hope you enjoy and thanks for reading!
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Does Government Funding Reflect Those Figures?
 |
| Wally supports Community Radio... Do You? |
Let’s ask Gotye…
“You didn’t have to cut me off!”
See,
there’s a lack of funding for digital community radio services.
Wally
de Backer (aka – Gotye) recently wrote an open letter to the Communications
Minister Stephen Conroy asking him to address the shortfall for the
future of community radio. The Minister’s response however suggested
that stations should just fund themselves.
Wally’s
kinda famous for writing catchy, award winning tunes. But he acknowledges that
even with all his talent, community radio helped him kick it all off.
Oh, here let him tell it:
“Australian community radio has been instrumental in my
recent international success. Without the support and encouragement of
community stations when I started self releasing my music in 2001 I would not
have been able to develop my career.”
Now
digital community radio is fighting for its life with only one week before the
federal budget and a $1.4 Million dollar shortfall to continue services.
The long and the shortfall…
Back
in 2009 the federal government provided $11.2 Million dollars to
kickstart community digital radio across Australia. The funding was instituted
by Senator Stephen Conroy, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the
Digital Economy.
Money was for the setup and operation of digital radio services over three years and was part of the government’s commitment to a digital future for radio.
Money was for the setup and operation of digital radio services over three years and was part of the government’s commitment to a digital future for radio.
Basic
annual costs for digital radio have leveled at $3.6 Million dollars a
year. In May 2012 the government announced funding of $2.2 Million dollars
a year over four years for digital community radio.
…
Hang on a minute, that’s short $1.4 Million dollars.
A cut, or a shortfall?
Any way you cut it (pun intended) the government’s
ongoing funding commitment of $2.2 million dollars a year is $1.4 million
dollars short of the operational costs of community digital radio.
The government maintains it hasn’t cut anything;
it’s giving money away! This ignores the basic costs projected to access the
digital radio platform. Failure is built into the system.
Heard about media diversity?
The government bangs on about it a fair bit.
Basically it’s about having lots of voices expressing different opinions.
And how does digital community radio help support media diversity?
The digital component is important because we are
all consuming media in different ways.
Infrastructure is for the future stupid!
One of the problems with the governments argument is
that ignores the future potential of digital radio. As we change and evolve the
way we consume media maintaining and developing a digital option becomes
increasingly important.
This is basically the argument the government made
in criticizing the Oppositions NBN policy. Remember Conroy is also Minister for
the Digital Economy. But can he see the inconsistency?
No!
So what can we do?
If you haven’t already, go to http://committocommunityradio.org.au/ and join
the campaign for digital radio funding.
You can also send Senator Conroy an email, hell give him a call on (02) 6277 7480. Tell him what FBi and digital
community radio means to you!
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