SUBSCRIBE
free
| Save Our SBS – friends of SBS – joins all supporters and every friend of SBS in celebrating SBS radio, television, digital and online services. We are a not-for-profit association of ordinary people defending the original special purpose of SBS. DONATE here. |
SBS & friends say ‘fully-fund Australian content on SBS’ senate committee told
This year, the Senate’s communications committee has been inquiring into the economic and cultural value of Australian content on our media services.
Written submissions to the committee from SBS and Save Our SBS put the case for set quotas of Australian content saying it ought to be fully-funded. Save Our SBS argued that if content were fully-funded, there would be no point in SBS carrying advertisements. To stay faithful to its Charter, Save Our SBS said that SBS… »
SBS appoints new MD
James Taylor is the new Managing Director of SBS.
Mr Taylor (pictured) has been working at SBS for the past six years as its Chief Financial Officer and filled the position of Acting Managing Director after the unexpected departure of former MD Michael Ebeid.
"We have already met James and look forward to working with him in the future" said Save Our SBS president, Steve Aujard.
Save Our SBS welcomes Mr Taylor to his new role.
SBS chairman Dr Bulent Hass Dellal… »
SBS National Languages Competition 2018
SBS Radio encourages all Australians to celebrate language learning with the SBS National Languages Competition 2018. The competition closes on 18 November and full details are here.
Celebrating Australia’s increasing cultural, linguistic and ethnic diversity, SBS has launched its National Languages Competition 2018 - a nationwide initiative to inspire and encourage language learning and retention. Now in its third year, the competition is expanding to engage Australians of… »
Are you the next SBS Managing Director?
The SBS Board is looking for a new Managing Director. Could it be you?
The official SBS advertisement for this position appears much lower down this screen.
Save Our SBS - supporters & friends of SBS - believe that in addition to good management skills, it is very important that SBS find someone with a strong public broadcasting ethos — who puts viewers before advertisers — and is committed to SBS scheduling niche and diverse multicultural and… »
SBS boss steps down
Michael Ebeid AM will step down as SBS Managing Director. Ebeid's departure comes seven and a half years into a nine year appointment.
Ebeid said: “My decision to step down has been one of the most difficult decisions I’ve made. Serving as the SBS Managing Director has been a real honour and privilege and I depart feeling confident that this is the right time for a new Managing Director to take the organisation forward.”
Chairman of the SBS Board of… »
Viewers say ‘hand back our SBS without ads’ competitive neutrality inquiry
In response to the Inquiry into the Competitive Neutrality of the National Broadcasters, Save Our SBS President, Steve Aujard said, "With Australia’s growing migration and the importance of social cohesion, SBS is needed more now than ever before and it's essential it be on track. We focused our submission to the Inquiry with that in mind while respecting the principles of competitive neutrality."
Centre and front of the 59 page Save Our SBS submission… »
Attaining a level playing field: SBS commercial
On 22 June this year, Save Our SBS lodged a detailed submission to the 'Inquiry into the Competitive Neutrality of the National Broadcasters'. A condensed version of the Save Our SBS submission is below, in which a number of chapters have been excluded and other text edited for quick reading. The full unedited evidence based original is here.
To enable Save Our SBS to continue our work of excellence in the public good, please… »
Budget returns funds to SBS over two years
SBS News are reporting that:
The multicultural broadcaster SBS will get $17 million funding over two years from 2018-19 to support and to contribute to the production and distribution of Australian film, television and radio content.
It includes $14.6 million over two years for SBS to replace revenue that could not be raised by changes to its advertising regime, and $3 million is to support the development of Australian film and television content.
Funding for the… »
Competitive neutrality inquiry into the ABC and SBS begins
The long awaited Inquiry into the Competitive Neutrality of the National Broadcasters that will examine the competitive neutrality of the ABC and SBS commenced today.
The Inquiry will report to Government in July.
According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, competitive neutrality means that state-owned and private businesses compete on a level playing field.
The Inquiry will include opportunities for both written input and face-to-face… »
Law to limit gambling ads but Labor wants SBS exempted
The Government has introduced a Bill that would regulate gambling advertisements on radio, TV and online.
If passed gambling advertisements could be limited on SBS, commercial operators, and other outlets.
However, Labor has proposed an amendment to the Bill that would exempt SBS from the provisions of the Bill.
The Bill supports the best interests of children under Best interests of the child: Article 3(1) of the Convention on the Rights of the Child by providing… »
Australian content on SBS
Last October the Senate's communications committee launched an inquiry into the "economic and cultural value of Australian content on broadcast, radio and streaming services". Submissions were received from industry groups and stakeholders. The outcome of the inquiry will be reported in May.
To enable Save Our SBS to continue our work of excellence in the public good, please donate
A copy of the Save Our SBS… »
What’s on SBS this year
The slate is looking good this year for SBS. Save Our SBS presents a comprehensive overview of the year ahead. Something different The Ghan is Australia’s first foray into the ‘slow TV’ movement - an immersive style of television, originating from Europe, which invites the viewer on a real time journey. This innovative program takes viewers aboard Australia’s most iconic passenger train trip from Adelaide to Darwin. Three hours, no commercials, no… »
The Mosque Next Door
Step inside The Mosque Next Door is a new SBS three-part documentary series which premieres Wednesday 8 November, 8.30pm on SBS.
For many non-Muslim Australians, the mosque is shrouded in mystery, and for some, controversy. But how many Australians have ever stepped inside one?
For the first time in Australia, television cameras were given unprecedented 24-hour access into an Australian mosque for SBS’s new three-part documentary series, The Mosque Next… »
Pollies want better deal for SBS
Last week Save Our SBS met with politicians in Parliament House, Canberra - to discuss SBS - its future, funding and more.
As always, there was talk around advertising and SBS's charter.
The much publicly discussed - Competitive Neutrality Inquiry - was also a hot topic.
Save Our SBS was told that the Government will hold the inquiry into both public broadcasters in 2018.
It is expected to be widely publicised at the time.
A spokesperson for the Minister said the… »
Sunshine: compelling drama tells life of South Sudanese in Australia
Sunshine is a high-stakes crime drama that explores the hopes and heartbreak felt by those forging a new life in a foreign land.
That land is Australia.
It is vibrant, kinetic and compelling.
Set in Melbourne’s outer-western suburb of Sunshine, the story follows Jacob Garang played by new on-screen talent Wally Elnour.
Jacob is a young, aspiring South Sudanese-Australian basketball player whose dreams of climbing his Biblical namesake’s ladder to heaven - the… »
 Save Our SBS – friends of SBS – joins all supporters and every friend of SBS in celebrating SBS radio, television, digital and online services. We are a not-for-profit association and defend the original special purpose of SBS. We advocate greater public funding for SBS, value multilingual & multicultural programs, and treasure the diverse culturally rich service intended for SBS – without in-program commercial breaks. |
When the 1991 Parliament incorporated the phrase “natural program breaks” into the SBS Act it intended the placement of advertising on SBS television would not disrupt programs, that SBS not present itself like a commercial broadcaster and that “natural program breaks” would be restricted to:-
- Mr SMITH Liberal half-time in a soccer match … in effect what will happen is that advertising will top and tail programs
- Sen ALSTON Liberal natural program breaks, one would think that it is not too difficult to identify … clearly the half-time break in football and other sporting programs is a fairly common occurrence. The topping and tailing of programs so that good quality films are not massacred by advertisements is something that most people will readily identify with and recognise the breach of very quickly
- Sen COLLINS Labor natural program breaks will be so unobtrusive on audiences as to be almost undetectable
- Mr LEE Labor advertisement–at the beginning and the end of the sponsored program. In that way the viewers were not disturbed and were not constantly interrupted, as is the case on some of the commercial television programs
- Mr SINCLAIR National let us not try to get the advertising revenue that will make the SBS another commercial channel. If we do, again, that will change its character, and I do not think that is really what we are about
