Funding for Ethnic and Multicultural Broadcasters
The Community Broadcasting Foundation (CBF) offers funding for ethnic community broadcasters under its Ethnic Grants program.
There are three types of ethnic grants: Ethnic Program Grants, and Ethnic Development Grants.
A brief summary of these two types of grants and the categories involved in each is set out below.
Ethnic Programming Grants
Funding in this category is for groups who are broadcasting weekly programs on community radio stations to assist with the costs of program production. Applicants need to be fully licensed community radio stations or holders of temporary community broadcasting licenses. Applicants can also be an incorporated ethnic broadcasting association which may manage funding on behalf of one or more ethnic broadcasting groups at a particular station. There are three categories of ethnic programming grants:
1. Ethnic Programs category - Station programs need to be at least 50% spoken word and provide news and information to the community. Funds are given on a per hour of broadcasting basis.
2. Ethnic Youth category - In the first year of funding 25% of spoken word must be in language other than English. All aspects of the production of the program must be by young people (under 30 years old). Funding ceiling of one additional hour per week per language.
3. Multicultural Youth category - Designed to introduce young people to ethnic broadcasting and provide on-air training and experience. At least 10% of spoken word content of program must be in a language other than English. Program must be produced by young people. Funding ceiling of one hour per week per station.
Ethnic Programming Grants are paid to stations or umbrella groups. However, a minimum of 25% of the grant is available for ethnic broadcasters program needs such as CDs, records, tapes, magazaines, internet costs etc. The balance can be used to cover costs assisting ethnic broadcasting but cannot include payment of wages, fees or travel expenses.
Ethnic Development Grants
These grants are for national or regional development and are for projects which support the aims of ethnic community broadcasting in general. Sector organisations, ethnic broadcasting groups and aspirant ethnic broadcasting groups can apply. There are four categories of funding:
1. Sector Coordination category - for national or regional services to the sector eg conferences.
2. Innovation category - to encourage new projects with national or regional impact - should demonstrate broad support from more than one ethnic group or region.
3. New Ethnic Language Group category - to encourage new language groups to become involved in community broadcasting. A one-off grant up to is available to purchase initial program production materials.
4. Emerging Communities Start-up Grants category - a one-off grant of up to for emerging communities and refugee groups to broadcast in their own languages. Funds are to help groups establish their resources, purchase materials like CDs and tapes, equipment like portable recorders, fund transport and internet costs etc.
Applications for Ethnic Grants are accepted twice a year. Round 1 applications close in September, with applicants notified in November. Round 2 applications close in April, with applicants being notified in June.
Detailed guidelines and application forms can be found on the CBF website
(www.cbf.com.au).
You can also search our Community Cultural Development and Skills Funding Database for further sources of funding on a state by state basis.
