CBAA wins in Google News Innovation Challenge

The Community Broadcasting Association of Australia (CBAA) is one of 23 winners in the Google News Initiative (GNI) Asia Pacific Innovation Challenge.

Selected from 215 applicants across the region, the CBAA is one of five Australian winners. 

The CBAA’s project is focused on digital philanthropy and digital content in community radio news will receive a share of the total $3.2 million funding pool. With it, the CBAA will pilot a fundraising platform for Australia’s community broadcasting sector underpinned by a technology-based solution to support community journalism.

The project will develop upon the sector’s longstanding donations and subscription models incorporating an expansion the quality and scope of community radio’s on-air and digital news content, and optimisation of station websites for online giving.

CBAA Chief Executive Officer Jon Bisset says these developments will build both content and revenue generation capacity in stations

“Over 450 community radio stations serve almost six million listeners across Australia each week and the CBAA is excited to deliver important, future-facing services to support their contributions to Australia’s strong democracy, open society and vibrant cultures. This pilot will develop digital infrastructure to increase digital news content being created and delivered by community broadcasters while assisting them to raise funds online.”

This follows the CBAA’s recent confirmation of $2.8 million funding from the Community Broadcasting Foundation to deliver the Enhanced National News Project (ENNP) over the next four years. This project will improve the quality and reliability of news content available to the community broadcasting sector to provide audiences with respected, valued and well-utilised alternative news services. It has a focus on amplifying the diverse voices, stories and perspectives of the Australian community and building capacity for local reporting, particularly for journalists in regional and remote communities.

The News Innovation Challenge is Google's global effort to work with the news industry to help journalism thrive in the digital age. Through rounds of regional funding, the GNI Innovation Challenges will empower news innovators from around the world to demonstrate new thinking in online journalism and the development of new publishing business models.