Minister for Communications: "Committed as we are to Australian diversity, we are to community broadcasting"

enadmin, 4th September 2014
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community broadcasting morning teaYesterday, 60 politicians and sector representatives from the CBAA, NEMBC, CMA, RPH Australia, AICA, ACTA and the CBF gathered at Parliament House in Canberra to talk about community broadcasting. 

An ongoing supporter of Australia’s largest independent media sector and host of the inaugural Morning Tea event, Minister for Communications Malcolm Turnbull was quick to sing its praises. He mentioned the valuable diversity and localism the sector provides, its capacity to service communities inadequately catered for by the mainstream media and its place as a vital component of the broadcasting world. 
 
“Committed as we are to Australia’s diversity, we are committed to community broadcasting,” he concluded.
 
Community Broadcasting Association of Australia (CBAA) President Adrian Basso addressed the gathering to share stories of the diverse set of passionate people that give their time to their local station, and community broadcasting’s place as a key pillar in the Australian media landscape. Basso also called on MPs and senators to reach out to their local community broadcasting media as a means to reach their constituents. Finally, he pushed for the sector to be included in plans to roll digital radio out to regional areas, saying that, “we see our future as being free to air broadcasting”.
 
The event was an opportunity to share information about community radio and television and to build relationships between the community broadcasting sector and elected representatives. This was particularly important in light of the troubling recommendation to cut government funding in the recent National Commission of Audit.

As well as the addresses given by the Minister and Adrian Basso, the sector also shared information on the sector with attendees, including this short animated video:

Pictured above: Minister for Communications Malcolm Turnbull with Warren Entsch MP, Teresa Gambaro MP, Nola Marino MP, David Coleman MP and CBAA General Manager Jon Bisset and CBAA President Adrian Basso.

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