"SBS is playing a key role in integration and helping new migrants to understand the Australian culture and promoting the benefits of diversity for all Australians through the telling of stories of multi-cultural Australia for 41 years," Dr Bulent Hass Dellal tells SBS Turkish.
Speaking with Tanju Yenisey, the new chairman of the SBS board, Dr Dellal said that he was feeling very humbled after receiving many well wishes from the community, the business, media and the government sectors and expressed that his appointment was a great honour.
Listen to Hass Dellal's full interview (in English) with SBS Turkish:
"It’s an honour to be part of such a team."
Dr Dellal has been a board member since June 2010 and became deputy chair in June 2011. He has also been acting Chairman since Nihal Gupta resigned from this position in February 2016.
He describes SBS as a unique and innovative organization and says, "it’s an honour to be part of such a team."
In addition to these he says, "SBS is informing people of their rights, as well as their obligations to Australia, as Australians, which has all been very important to preserving and promoting social cohesion."
Dellal states that one of the key things for him is that SBS has a very clear strategy to ensure that it continues to play that very special and vital role in society as well as addressing some of the challenges for Australia today.
"If we look at what we've achieved as a broadcaster," says Dellal. "Throughout here and the way the world even looks at SBS today, it’s a modern multi-platform media company with a TV portfolio spreading over five distinctive channels, across free to air and subscription TV."
"It’s an absolutely extensive and marvellous radio service providing to more than 70 communities with programs in their own language and a very innovative and growing online and digital presence."
Dellal says that it's about "ensuring that we at SBS are responding to the changing needs and demands of the audiences, which is really important.
"At the core of it all, our mission remains the same and that is to provide special services to culturalism in a way only SBS can."
“Australia has connected with their rich indigenous histories through NITV”
Dr Dellal also states that Australia has connected with their rich Indigenous histories through NITV which one of SBS's five TV channel.
He says, "What NITV is producing today is just fantastic, innovative, so clear, and directional and the stories we tell of those who journeyed from afar to help build this nation to what it is today. So I think we’re a very important organisation in providing an exchange of culture like no other organisation, and that exchange of culture like no other organisation, and that exchange of culture."
Dellal says that it’s an exciting time for SBS and also particularly a time when there is growing connection between economic disadvantages and racially motivated resentment.
He points out though that SBS is helping Australians understand each other better and there’s never been a better time, a more relevant time and more important time than now to do this.
Dellal is a multicultural affairs specialist who is executive director of the Australian Multicultural Foundation, Chairman of the Centre for Multicultural Youth; Chairman of the National Centre of Excellence for Islamic Studies Consultative Committee at Melbourne University; Chairman of the Islamic Museum of Australia and he is a member of Australian Multicultural Advisory Council.
Dr Dellal was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 1997 for service to multicultural organisations. He is also an Australia Day Ambassador.
“I suppose I try to fit 48 hours in 24 hours.”
So how does Dr Dellal balance all of these competing responsibilities in a broad range of different organisations in Australia?
"I suppose I try to fit 48 hours in 24 hours," he says.
"But I think for me it’s really about ensuring that you do have a broad perspective and broad experience and interact with a broad range of people across the community sector business sector, the government sector so that you truly understand what is happening at all levels."
"To me, the community sector is very important than I have made it my mission to ensure that I do engage in all levels within the communities.
"If you are not in touch with what is happening on a day-to-day basis then you are almost a fraud.
"You really need to understand what people are feeling.
"In order to do that, you need to engage yourself at different levels.
"I suppose I've prioritised that and manage my lifestyle and my work commitment in order to meet those outcomes."
Dr Dellal says it’s very important to understand what’s happening in a multicultural Australia because he thinks Australia is not static Australia.
He says, "it’s continually evolving in order to understand that, you need to understand the diversity of people and the issues and the concerns and the challenges we face."
"So I think for me, it’s very important to have that cross sectional engagement."
Dr Dellal has been appointed by the Australian Government as Chairman of the SBS Board for a period of just over three years, which will take his term up to the ten-year limit of serving on the board.
