SBS welcomes report into rural and regional broadcasting
Thursday 5 May 2016
SBS today welcomed the Communications and the Arts Standing Committee report on Arts and the News to Rural and Regional Australia.
The report commends SBS for the programs and services it is providing for multicultural Australia. Recommendation 16:
“The committee recommends that the Special Broadcasting Service Corporation (SBS) and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation remain separate entities. The committee commends the SBS for its important work in providing specialised multicultural broadcasting according to its charter, and in broadening its audience through general interest programming. The committee believes the SBS addresses a fundamental content gap within the Australian broadcasting space, while operating as a highly efficient organisation.”
SBS Managing Director Michael Ebeid said: “SBS plays a vital role in providing distinctive content for our increasingly diverse society. The findings and recommendations in this report show the Committee believes in the value of having a dedicated media organisation with the special purpose of helping Australia progress as a successful multicultural society, which is even more relevant today than it was 40 years ago when we were first established.”
The report also notes the role of SBS in delivering television, radio and online content to rural and regional areas, and a heightened need to be responsive to the content needs of the increasingly multicultural communities outside of the major cities.
As well as noting the important role of broadcasters in delivering news services to Australian communities, the Committee also commended SBS for delivering the arts to audiences across Australia and the broadcast of special events to enable significantly wider audience access to unique performances.
ENDS