Save Our SBS www.SaveOurSBS.org congratulates SBS-TWO on its prime time* TV schedule. It goes more than half way in serving Australians whose native tongue is not English.

For the week ending Friday 5 June 2009 the schedule, as published on the SBS website, indicates that well over half of the prime time programs on the SBS second channel are in LOTE (languages other than English).

Save Our SBS spokesperson Darce Cassidy said “This would be good news, but the problem is that most Australians can’t receive SBS-TWO, which is only available in digital transmission. According to OZTAM figures for March of this year only 43.4 percent of households can receive digital television.”

“Meanwhile the main SBS TV channel, SBS-ONE, condemns programs in LOTE to minority status in prime time. Less than one fifth of prime time TV on SBS-ONE is in LOTE”.

“According to the SBS Act: “The principal function of SBS is to provide multicultural radio and television services that inform, educate and entertain all Australians and, in doing so, reflect Australia’s multicultural society.”

“In effect, the second channel is second best, and the people who would be most inclined to watch it have been treated as second class citizens.”

“If the SBS were serious about its commitment to its Charter it would put the SBS-TWO schedule on the SBS-ONE transmitters, and vice versa.”

“Both SBS channels continue interrupt programs for advertisements.”

* The official regulator, the Australian Communications and Media Authority, defines prime time television as the hours between six and ten-thirty p.m.

For further information and comment:
CONTACT: Darce Cassidy 03 9005 8660 or 0412 685 178
WEB: www.SaveOurSBS.org
EMAIL: Spokesperson@SaveOurSBS.org

Save Our SBS Inc

Save Our SBS spokesperson Darce Cassidy said “The government has made the first move.  It is now time for the SBS to listen to the government, and, more importantly, to its viewers.  Both the viewers and the government want the SBS to stop interrupting programs with advertisements.”

“It is time for the SBS Board to put the “special” back into SBS television, to return the SBS to its multicultural Charter.  Programs in English dominate prime time television.  Indeed on some nights there are no programs in languages other than English in prime time.”

“As a first step the SBS should immediately cease interrupting programs for commercials.  In the longer term the SBS should be required to operate on the same basis as the ABC, without advertisements of any kind.  The prohibition of advertising should be accompanied by a substantial funding increase to bring the SBS budget to half that of the ABC”.

Further information:  Darce Cassidy 03 9005 8660 or 0412 685 178
 

The statement, headed “The SBS Must Be Special” was prepared by Save Our SBS (www.SaveOurSBS.org). In addition to Mr Fraser it has been endorsed by the following:

Ethnic Community Leaders:
Professor Mary Kalantzis
Dr Heinrich Stefanik, OAM, former Secretary, Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia
George Zangalis, President, National Ethnic and Multicultural Broadcasters Council, former Board member, SBS

Literature and the Arts:
Dr June Factor
Professor Raimond Gaita
Professor K.S. Inglis
Patricia Lovell
Siobhan McHugh
Bruce Petty
Judith Rodriquez A.M.
Stephen Sewell

Law:
Professor A.R. Blackshield
Julian Burnside Q.C.

Save Our SBS is currently undertaking qualitative research about SBS and advertising in a one minute survey at www.SaveOurSBS.org where the statement referred to may be read.

STATEMENT DIRECT URL http://saveoursbs.org/archives/318

For further information contact:
Darce Cassidy,
Secretary,
Save Our SBS Inc
phone 0412 685 178
email Spokesperson@SaveOurSBS.org 

The Special Broadcasting Service was established by the Fraser coalition government, building on the creation of the publicly funded multi-lingual radio stations 2EA and 3EA by the Whitlam government. ‘EA’ stood for Ethnic Australia.

Concrete government support for multiculturalism was a bi-partisan issue in the mid-seventies, but recently the special nature of the SBS has been under threat.

Since the introduction of sponsorship and advertising to SBS-TV in the 1990s the service has steadily become more generalist and less specialist and multicultural. While SBS radio has remained a specialist multilingual network, SBS-TV is in danger of losing its way. English language lesson programs, greatly valued by new arrivals, have been phased out of the TV schedule.

Ethnic communities are concerned. Both the Federation of Ethnic Communities Council (FECCA) and the National Ethnic and Multicultural Broadcasters Council (NEMBC) have spoken out.

As the SBS Board and management have sought to increase audience share, languages other than English (LOTE) have been pushed out of prime time. Coverage of community events and customs on SBS-TV has declined. Meanwhile big money is going into a locally produced motoring program. The general is overtaking the special. Mainstream is replacing multicultural. Not only is SBS-TV becoming less special, but it is also losing sight of the original idea of the service. The SBS should focus on the special needs of viewers, rather than on selling consumers to advertisers.

Since late 2006 SBS-TV has been interrupting programs of all kinds for advertisements by forcing breaks into programs.

The Special Broadcasting Service was never intended to be like other broadcasters and was certainly not created to mimic the look of the commercial networks. The SBS is a taxpayer funded public service broadcaster and should, as its creators intended, be both special and committed to serving its audience.

The above statement was prepared by Save Our SBS Inc, and has been endorsed by the following:

Professor A.R. Blackshield; Julian Burnside QC; Dr June Factor; Malcolm Fraser, PC, AC, CH; Professor Raimond Gaita; Professor K.S. Inglis; Professor Mary Kalantzis; Patricia Lovell; Siobhan McHugh; Bruce Petty; Judith Rodriguez AM; Stephen Sewell; Dr Heinrich Stefanik O.A.M.; George Zangalis

www.SaveOurSBS.org
 

Spoiling the ship for a ha’porth of tar MEDIA RELEASE