Simon Tayler, Sydney
Community TV Sydney's broadcasting licence is currently up for renewal with the Australian Broadcasting Authority (ABA). Community TV Sydney manages the programming and broadcasting for Sydney's community television station, UHF Channel 31.
Channel 31 broadcasts community-produced television programs in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane. These provide an important outlet of expression for many groups within the community whose voice would otherwise be sidelined by the media.
Community TV Sydney has been broadcasting for ten years and has established a wide network of community groups.
The ABA is considering several rival bids, and may decide to award the licence to another group. Jill Hickson, a producer for the weekly political program Actively Radical TV (ARTV), which includes the Green Left Weekly-sponsored Voices of Protest program, argues that awarding the licence to another group would be a serious blow to community broadcasting.
"None of the other bidders for the licence will be able to broadcast until 2005 or 2006, so the community voice on television would be taken off the air for at least a year," Hickson told Green left Weekly. "A lot of the groups who are producing now, or who are just starting out, would just disappear if they were off the air."
She is also concerned about how changing the management might change the content. "Community TV Sydney has a proven track record when it comes to defending the freedom of expression for program providers on the channel. They were very supportive when Actively Radical TV came under attack from the New South Wales Board of Jewish Deputies for featuring a pro-Palestinian view."
"If the licence changes hands, we're worried that the new managers would either refuse to broadcast the current programming, or might not defend us if we come under attack from hostile organisations," Hickson said.
Community TV Sydney is asking that individuals and community groups show their support for Channel 31 by contacting the ABA before March 19. Messages of support for Community TV Sydney can be sent to the ABA by phone on (02) 9334 7700, by fax on (02) 9334 7799, or by email at info@aba.gov.au. There is also an online petition at http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/634165206.
[For more information on the campaign call Rihab or Rebecca on (02) 9436 4431.]
From Green Left Weekly, March 3, 2004.
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