The new schedule will be designed to reflect changes in Australia's migrant and refugee intake, as well as changes in the way audiences access content through new technologies.
Through an online consultation site set up in April, SBS Radio invited public input on the proposed selection criteria, and received almost 1200 submissions. They covered more than 80 language communities, and almost three-quarters were from listeners.
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Director of Audio and Language Content Mandi Wicks says most wanted to express support for SBS Radio's existing services, comprising broadcasts in more than 60 languages.
"We will end up with a schedule with new languages that we're not currently servicing. We will better service the larger languages that have changed over time. And we will end up with some programs on a digital platform and on mobile and online only, not on the analogue schedule," Ms Wicks said.
There are no plans to stop producing any existing language services if there are more than a 1,000 speakers of those languages 'at home' in the community, as measured by the 2011 Census, Ms Wicks said.
And there will be some additional languages in the new schedule for analogue radio.
One theme that emerged in the public consultations was a request that ageing should be given more weighting in the high needs category, and as a result, the changed selection criteria give a higher index for language groups with an older profile.
SBS was also urged to consider communities who may fall outside the 'large languages' or 'high needs' criteria.
"The other feedback we got was around community groups that are concerned they may not fit the criteria, but feel that they should be considered to be part of the schedule for other needs - basically humanitarian needs," said Ms Wicks.
The next stage of the SBS Radio Schedule Review will come from last year's Census, to be released on June 21. This information will confirm the 'large' language programs that will remain on the SBS Radio analogue schedule. Other Census data around ageing, or recentness of arrival will be used to help to determine the rest of the analogue schedule.
Implementation of the new radio schedule is expected to be around the middle of next year.
Ms Wicks says it was good timing for SBS to receive the recent substantial increase in funding in the May federal budget, as the reschedule is being carried out.
The Federation of Ethnic Communities Councils of Australia (FECCA) says it is pleased with the way the review has been progressing.
FECCA chairman Mr Pino Migliorino says there are a number of emerging migrant communities which he believes would benefit greatly from language programs on SBS Radio.
"I think the position of communication to be able to get information to them through this public broadcasting approach is very much needed," he said.
The final selection criteria and the rationale behind the changes can be found at sbs.com.au/consultation.
