• Michelle Bawden

15 April 2010Each part of the media sector has an important role to play, writes Michelle Bawden in the National Times

COMMUNITY broadcasting – radio and television – was created to develop and reflect a sense of Australian identity, character and cultural diversity. Community radio stations feel very strongly about ‘‘local content’’ and fear it may be further diluted under a review being undertaken by Communications Minister Stephen Conroy.

The federal government has called for submissions to its review of regional commercial radio local content requirements. But community broadcasters are beginning to question Senator Conroy’s stated commitment to protecting ‘‘local content’’.

The review puts forward as a ‘‘key issue’’ that greater flexibility be provided for regional commercial radio broadcasters, by spreading the same small amount of local content across both weekdays and weekends. In essence, this proposes diluting even further the local content that commercial broadcasters must provide to local audiences...

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