SBS has received $20 million in new funding in the 2013 Federal Budget.
The funding, which will be delivered over three years, would enable SBS to continue delivering to its charter in a changing and competitive media market, the organisation's managing director Michael Ebeid said.
“SBS is a lean and agile hybrid broadcaster which punches above its weight with distinctive and innovative content, despite operating on one fifth of the average budget of all the other broadcasters,” he said.
“This funding will equip SBS to provide the services that are critical to its responsibility to be a broadcaster for all Australians, in a climate where commercial growth is subdued, content costs are increasing and audiences are fragmenting across the myriad of channels, platforms and devices available to them.
Mr Ebeid said the funding was recognition from the Federal Government that SBS had a “continuing and vital” role in aiding social cohesion and Australia's success as an immigrant nation.
“The funding will help to fill the gaps between our role and responsibility to provide services which encourage all Australians to understand and appreciate other cultures through content, and help to meet the increasing cost of delivering those services across the platforms and devices audiences are choosing to use,” he said.
“It will also allow SBS to continue broadcasting in 74 languages on radio.
“Today, one-in-four Australians was born overseas, 43.1 per cent have at least one overseas-born parent and our language other than English (LOTE) community makes up four million people.
“In this budget, Minister Conroy and the government have recognised that demand for SBS's services will only continue to grow as Australia becomes more and more culturally diverse.”
