RTRFM 92.1 ask politicians to support the CBAA’s 2019 election policy agenda

Perth community radio station RTRFM 92.1 has asked Shadow Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese and Federal Member for Perth Patrick Gorman to support the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia’s 2019 election policy agenda to Keep Community Radio.

Mr Albanese and Mr Gorman visited RTRFM’s iconic annual fundraiser In the Pines at the Somerville Auditorium on the University of Western Australia’s Crawley campus in the electorate of Curtin. RTRFM’s studios in Mt Lawley are located in the electorate of Perth.

The CBAA has two key policy requests of all parties at this election to support the sustainability and growth of community broadcasting services to meet community needs:

1. Long-term funding certainty – To ensure community broadcasting remains viable and can operate in an environment of certainty, we ask parties to commit to making all community radio funding recurrent, indexed and ongoing, rather than on allocation.
2. Strengthen financial support for community broadcasting – Expand funding for the Community Broadcasting Program by an extra $5.1 million annually to allow a larger development and operations grants pool (through the General Sustainability and Development Fund (GSD)) to meet the growing needs of community radio stations.

“RTRFM 92.1 stands shoulder to shoulder with community radio stations across Australia in asking all parties to commit to funding certainty for our sector” said Rewi Lyall Chairperson RTRFM.

“Community radio is a vital facet of the media landscape. We exist to foster inclusion and provide the space for stories and experiences that might otherwise go untold. We need a little bit of certainty, a little bit of extra support, to enable us to further enhance our capacity as we progress towards an ever more digital future.”

RTRFM 92.1 General Manager Karen Lee added “It was great to talk with Albo and Patrick about the critical role community radio plays in supporting the culture of vibrant cities and towns, launching the careers of young artists.”

“There are hundreds of creative industry jobs and training pathways for young people in community radio across the country, let alone the thousands of volunteer presenters who create a sense of belonging and connection throughout society.”

“I’m really pleased that RTRFM could provide a real-life experience of our creative community for Albo and Patrick today to help keep the community radio sector in their minds."

Photo (l-r): Danae Gibson, RTRFM Talks Producer, Chris Wheeldon, RTRFM Operations Manager, Rewi Lyall, RTRFM Chairperson, Albo, Karen Lee, RTRFM General Manager, Patrick Gorman, Federal Member for Perth, Jas Hughes, RTRFM Drive presenter.