Triennial funding for SBS was announced tonight.
SBS Managing Director Michael Ebeid has welcomed an additional $15.1m in funding for SBS on top of its base funding allocation over the next three years.
SBS will receive $814.2m to 2019 in base operational funding, plus $6.9m in 2016‑17 to replace revenue that could not be raised due to the "delayed passage" of the Communications Legislation Amendment (SBS Advertising Flexibility and Other Measures) Bill 2015.
Last year, SBS had forecast it would have generated $6.9m in 2016-17 if the advertising bill had not failed.
Last December, the Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO) restored $4.1m to SBS for current year ‘lost’ advertising revenue as a consequence of the unpopular bill.
The restoration of potential ad income means advertising will not increase this year on SBS.
Although not announced in tonight’s Budget, Save Our SBS understands that for each future year the ad bill is not made law, the Coalition government will, on a year-by-year basis, give SBS their forecast amount.
Part of the funding package announced for SBS includes $8.3m for continuation of core SBS activities.
Communications Minister, Senator Fifield stated that the government is maintaining base funding for SBS but later this year will consider the value of the broadcasting spectrum.
Commenting on the increase in overall SBS funding Mr Ebeid said, “In this Budget, the government has recognised the value of SBS’s role in our collective efforts to promote social cohesion, and the changing media landscape in which SBS operates.”
