SUBSCRIBE
free
| Save Our SBS – friends of SBS – joins all supporters and every friend of SBS in celebrating SBS radio, television and online services. We are a not for profit organisation defending the diversity, independence and integrity of the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS). We treasure SBS and the aim to end in-program breaks. We advocate greater public funding for SBS, respect its purpose as spelt out in its Charter, and value the cultural enrichment that SBS offers. |
Budget outcome: SBS own worst enemy
There's been a lot of backslapping all round. If you read SBS's and Minister Conroy's media releases about funding SBS in the budget, things could not be better. Offering no criticism, SBS welcomed an increase of a measly "$20 million" over the next three years and SBS's Managing Director, Michael Ebeid articulated a clutch of corporate speak. The similarity between the Minister's and SBS's talk is remarkable.
Looking at the figures and rhetoric, it seems that… »
New law deregulates ads
Although the government withdrew its controversial media reform bills package, the legislation that related to SBS passed both Houses.
The new law guarantees an Indigenous Director to the SBS Board which Save Our SBS welcomes and incorporates most of the SBS Charter to digital services (online).
In applying the Charter to online, the package did not require SBS online services be "diverse" nor use "innovative forms of expression". These… »
What’s on this year
“Distinctive, creative and daring”. That's how an SBS spokesperson described this year’s television programs. Some of it is. A lot is much the same as last year. While the spokesperson maintained SBS programs “must remain diverse and relevant ”, like all broadcasters the programs on SBS ONE & TWO will vary. However for a number, there is nothing especially 'SBS' about them. If programmed on another network it's doubtful anyone would think, "Hey, that's an SBS… »
Radio: Big changes ahead
In April SBS will change their 19 year old established Radio Schedule.
Last April, SBS Radio began a public consultation for a proposed Selection Criteria which outlined how languages could be determined in a review of the radio schedule. SBS television could learn from this process of developing a criteria to assist TV in meeting their Charter obligations too.
Almost 1200 submissions were received during the public consultation and considered carefully in determining the… »
NITV: new SBS TV channel
At 12 noon (AEDT) on 12 December, SBS will launch another television channel, NITV. The National Indigenous Television channel will broadcast on SBS4-digital. NITV has been broadcasting since 2007.
The Channel Manager, Tanya Denning, said: “NITV has been creating and delivering innovative content representing the many voices of the country’s first Australians. We remain dedicated to having our unique languages and culture reflected within the media landscape, and we’re… »
SBS On Demand
Have you ever missed a program on SBS and wished you had a second chance to view it? Well, there is a way - it’s called SBS On Demand and it’s available from the SBS website.
This service has existed for some time but a while ago underwent a significant upgrade which has resulted in more features. It currently lists an impressive number of programs including short clips such as news and other items.
The service allows you to freely view any of the available programs… »
Two new SBS radio stations
SBS now has six radio stations.
In addition to SBS's two AM and FM national radio networks, the multicultural broadcaster has four digital radio stations. Two are new. All six stations are available on-line.
Less than a month after it was launched SBS PopDesi is proving very popular. It's the new digital music radio station playing South Asian pop music. Until PopDesi, little was available to satisfy the growing number of young people seeking this. The 2011 census data… »
Indigenous SBS Code
If SBS were a commercial or community broadcaster, the law would require it consult the public and provide adequate opportunity for community comment before changing its Code of Practice. Established under an Act of Parliament SBS does not hold a commercial licence however that should hardly matter as since 2010 the broadcaster has had a social inclusion policy and stakeholders are consulted from time to time on various matters.
Back in June, SBS amended its Code of Practice… »
SBS Census Explorer: fantastic online tool
Last month SBS launched the SBS Census Explorer an interactive online tool featuring demographic data gathered in the 2011 Census. The tool can be used to explore the results of the Census data.
On 21 June the Australian Bureau of Statistics released some of the data collected on Census night, 9 August 2011. More data will be released later and added to the SBS Census Explorer.
This is a fantastic tool for visualising Census data.
Demographic data released and appearing… »
Budget review: ads to stay
The day after the Budget was announced word had spread in the media that SBS had received a significant increase in public funding. It will appropriate an additional $158 million in base government funding (BGF) over the next five years, including $63 million over four years to integrate NITV (National Indigenous TV) into SBS. BGF is funding that covers SBS's operating expenses: employment, technology & content, and Indigenous TV but it excludes transmission costs. A… »
Why SBS received a funding increase
In the month before the May Budget some 9,171 messages were sent from people in every State and Territory to selected politicians urging government to steeply increase public funding for SBS and remove the disruptive commercial breaks from SBS television. The general public sent emails to the finance and communications ministers, some members of Cabinet, and other politicians according to a preset method. SaveOurSBS.org provided background material about SBS's finances and… »
Campaign statistics
In the month leading up to the May Budget, Save Our SBS ran a campaign where supporters were given the opportunity to send a personal email to the finance and communications ministers and other politicians in the Make SBS Special Again campaign published on the SaveOurSBS.org website. The purpose was to press government for a steep increase in funding for SBS with the removal of in-program commercial breaks from SBS television. On the campaign webpage visitors were… »
When the 1991 Parliament incorporated the phrase “natural program breaks” into the SBS Act it intended the placement of advertising on SBS television would not disrupt programs, that SBS not present itself like a commercial broadcaster and that “natural program breaks” would be restricted to:-
- half-time in a soccer match . . . in effect what will happen is that advertising will top and tail programs
chamber/hansardr/1991-10-14/0051 Page: 1842 Mr SMITH (Liberal) - natural program breaks, one would think that it is not too difficult to identify . . . clearly the half-time break in football and other sporting programs is a fairly common occurrence. The topping and tailing of programs so that good quality films are not massacred by advertisements is something that most people will readily identify with and recognise the breach of very quickly
chamber/hansards/1991-11-11/0109 Page: 2843 Sen ALSTON (Liberal) - natural program breaks will be so unobtrusive on audiences as to be almost undetectable
chamber/hansards/1991-11-11/0135 Page: 2862 Sen COLLINS (Labor) - advertisement–at the beginning and the end of the sponsored program. In that way the viewers were not disturbed and were not constantly interrupted, as is the case on some of the commercial television programs
chamber/hansardr/1991-10-14/0060 Page: 1857 Mr LEE (Labor) - let us not try to get the advertising revenue that will make the SBS another commercial channel. If we do, again, that will change its character, and I do not think that is really what we are about
chamber/hansardr/1991-10-14/0061 Page: 1860 Mr SINCLAIR (National)
