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| 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 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… »
New SBS radio line-up soon
After a 12 month review, SBS has announced changes to its radio services to meet the needs of multicultural Australia.
The new SBS Radio services to be implemented from Monday 20 November 2017 is here.
-- select language --
NITV Radio
African English
Albanian
Amharic
Arabic
Armenian
Assyrian
Bangla
Bosnian
Bulgarian
Burmese
Cantonese
Cook Islands Maori
Croatian
Czech
Danish
… »
SBS aim to triple Oz content forum told
Speaking at a community forum before a group of SBS supporters, SBS Managing Director Michael Ebeid AM announced the broadcasters aim to triple Australian content.
The forum, hosted by SBS, was held in Melbourne last month. It was attended by community stakeholders, including Save Our SBS, who met directly with the SBS Board and senior SBS staff.
The late-afternoon event was moderated by SBS journalist Sarah Abo.
After a Welcome to Country, SBS Chairman Dr Hass… »
SBS cannot be privatised: Michael Ebeid explains
"people who talk about privatising SBS really have no idea what SBS does"
SBS Managing Director Michael Ebeid was recently asked if SBS should be privatised to save taxpayers footing the bill.
Answering the question, Mr Ebeid said, "I think people who talk about privatising SBS really have no idea what SBS does.
"It would be impossible to privatise SBS because of its Charter.
"When you think about the role that we play in, for… »
Government backs down on SBS advertising Bill
Former SBS World News Australia presenter, Mary Kostakidis and Save Our SBS today thanked thousands of ordinary people who opposed a government Bill to further commercialise SBS.
Save Our SBS President, Steve Aujard said, "The government has killed the Bill. The Minister's Office phoned me a short while ago."
Ms Kostakidis said, "We are pleased the government has listened to SBS viewers; all were strongly opposed to the Bill.
"We now call on 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
