Specialist Radio Programming Grants – Australia

The Specialist Radio Programming grants assists with the development, production and broadcast costs of specialist radio programming content to meet the needs of particular communities. Funding is available for Specialist Radio programming for:

• First Nations Australians programs, in accordance with the specific conditions.
• Ethnic programs to serve a defined local ethnic community, in accordance with the specific conditions.
• Radio Reading (formerly RPH) programs to serve people with a print disability, in accordance with the specific conditions.

Objectives

• The objectives of the Specialist Radio Programming grants are to support community media organisations to:
  • Increase the diversity of voices and languages in community media
  • Increase community participation in community media
  • Engage with, connect to and reflect their community
  • Ensure diverse communities have access to information, cultural and local content that enriches their communities

Funding Information

• There is no set limit on the total amount you can request for Specialist Radio Programming support; however, overall funding is limited. The CBF have recommended what they consider to be a reasonable request for particular items per program and per station. If your programs have a greater need for support than what is recommended, you can apply for more funding but you must provide an explanation.
• For total grants, across all CBF grant programs, paid over $80,000 in a financial year, you will need to provide an Auditor’s Financial Certificate (AFC) declaring that grant funds have been expended in accordance with the terms of your grant agreement.

Eligibility Criteria

• Eligible organisations include:
  • a community radio station
  • a Remote Indigenous Media Organisation or Remote Indigenous Broadcasting Service
  • incorporated not-for-profit organisations auspicing applications for program groups broadcast on a community radio station

Ineligible

• The following organisations or individuals are not eligible to apply:
  • applicants seeking support for TV content. You should apply for programming support using the Content Grants form
  • RPH licensed stations. RPH stations may apply for funding support through Content grants and Development & Operations grants
  • a community radio station broadcasting radio reading programs within the broadcast ‘footprint’ of an existing radio reading (RPH) service, unless that service does not broadcast any local content

Conditions

• All Specialist Radio Programs must:
  • be on air by the start of the upcoming funding period (1 July 2024) OR be in development to be on air within the funding period (July 2024 – June 2025)
  • be produced locally – programs originating elsewhere for local re-broadcast are not eligible
  • be broadcast regularly, at least fortnightly between 6am–1am (i.e. not overnight) for the entire funding period
  • be at least 30 minutes long
  • be a minimum of 80% specialist programming material including culturally relevant music and spoken word content including social, cultural or political issues of importance to the relevant community, and news and information relevant to cultural and language maintenance, with an emphasis on local perspectives.
• First Nations Specialist Radio programs:
  • A First Nations Australian program broadcast on a non-Indigenous licensed station must be produced and presented by First Nations people or groups. Funding from the First Nations Community Broadcasting Fund in this grant program cannot be allocated to a program that is produced and presented by non-First Nations people
  • A First Nations Australian program broadcast on an Indigenous licensed station must be produced and presented by a First Nations person or group and; must include 50% Indigenous language content and/or content produced and distributed within a remote Indigenous community
• Ethnic Specialist Radio programs: 
  • An Ethnic program must be produced and presented by a person or group of people broadcasting to a defined local ethnic community which has input into the content of the program. The program’s spoken language must be at least 50% in a language other than English except where English is the native or common language of the cultural community (e.g. Irish, Indian) or where the program is produced and presented by people under the age of 30. Spoken word content must be no more than 25% religious
  • A Multicultural program must be produced by a group of at least 3 broadcasters from differing language/cultural backgrounds and address issues of multiculturalism, identity, settlement, etc. It can be in any language
• Radio Reading Specialist programs:
  • A Radio Reading program must conform with Standards for RPH Programming on Community Radio including:
    • sponsorship announcements, music, standard news bulletins such as National Radio News (NRN), and other items not specific to the needs of people with a print disability do not qualify as radio reading content
    • all printed items shall be read in full. Material shall be presented with an appropriate identification of: the publication, edition, date of publication, page number and author’s name. In no circumstances shall the text be varied, or any editorial comment be offered in relation to an item.

For more information, visit Community Broadcasting Foundation.