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Why SBS should not be further commercialised

by Margaret Pomeranz and Quentin Dempster

Now is the time for all good Australians to stand up to fight for a sustainable public broadcasting system in our country, in particular SBS.

There are forces at work out to further commercialise SBS through an amendment to the SBS Act and through the dishonouring or an election commitment not to cut funding to SBS (and the ABC).

SBS is unique. It emerged in 1978 as an initiative of the Fraser Government because of the perceived deficiency of the ABC in servicing the needs of increasing numbers of non-English speaking

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Petition opposes more ads

Margaret Pomeranz & Quentin Dempster with Save Our SBS and GetUp! have launched a petition opposing the government’s proposal to increase advertising on SBS. The online petition is on GetUp’s community campaigning website, CommunityRun getup.org.au/saveoursbs

Late last year the communications Minister announced the government will introduce a bill in 2015 that effectively doubles advertising on SBS through a system known as ad-averaging.

Campaign spokesperson, journalist and public broadcasting advocate, Quentin Dempster said, “Margaret and I join this campaign to try to save SBS from forces and strategies which can only destroy it.

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Stop the cuts

Despite Tony Abbott’s election promise not to cut funding to SBS, it seems highly likely our poorest broadcaster will be severely cut beyond the bone.

SBS has no fat to trim and although sketchy, the list of speculated cuts is frightening:-

SBS Melbourne studios and offices to go. SBS and ABC to share technical facilities where possible. SBS and ABC to join back house operations such as one pay office for both. Anticipated effective cuts in the order of $40m to $60m p.a. to SBS. SBS advertising quota to increase beyond the currently legislated cap of

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Survey: Should SBS have ads?

This single-screen survey asks for your views on SBS advertising, SBS Charter adherence, and public funding. The information collected may help better SBS and your viewing experience. All identifying personal details remain private and will not be published nor passed onto anyone.

Your views are important.

Five years after SBS began to disrupt all TV programs for commercial breaks, the Parliament has not required SBS stop the practice, allowing SBS to determine that matter themselves. Last year SBS was granted a 27% increase in base government funding over four years, the

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End of ads on SBS: when?

You may be wondering what happened to the Bill introduced in the Senate last year to phase out disruptive breaks on SBS-TV. Following the campaign in April last year, organised by SaveOurSBS.org in which a confirmed 9,171 messages were sent from ordinary people like you, the government granted SBS the biggest increase in base government funding ever (27%) and decided advertising is a matter for SBS to now determine. Additionally, SBS will be granted three year funding this May but has no plans to move ads out of programs, believing that advertising and in-program disruptions are a non

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Petition to SBS

Veteran activist Mannie De Saxe has launched an on-line petition to SBS requesting the broadcaster voluntarily cease in-program commercial breaks. The petition is independent of Save Our SBS and is the initiative of Mr De Saxe.

In a statement De Saxe said, "after years of frustration it seemed it was about time to try [a petition] because, we have all been complaining about this for so many years without any breakthrough". He said that in 2006 he put a petition on his blog together with some email exchanges between SBS and himself. He

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Why SBS received a funding increase

In the month before the May Budget some 9,171 messages were sent from people in every State and Territory to selected politicians urging government to steeply increase public funding for SBS and remove the disruptive commercial breaks from SBS television. The general public sent emails to the finance and communications ministers, some members of Cabinet, and other politicians according to a preset method. SaveOurSBS.org provided background material about SBS’s finances and links to the Special Broadcasting Service Amendment (Natural Program Breaks and Disruptive Advertising) Bill 2012. 

Here we publish a representative sample of all emails sent.

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Campaign statistics

In the month leading up to the May Budget, Save Our SBS ran a campaign where supporters were given the opportunity to send a personal email to the finance and communications ministers and other politicians in the Make SBS Special Again campaign published on the SaveOurSBS.org website. The purpose was to press government for a steep increase in funding for SBS with the removal of in-program commercial breaks from SBS television.

On the campaign webpage visitors were presented with an example of an email text and asked to compose an email in their own words. Most did.

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Make SBS special

SBS needs your support before early May to secure increased funding and ensure the Special Broadcasting Service Amendment (Natural Program Breaks and Disruptive Advertising) Bill 2012 becomes law. The Bill has now been introduced to the Senate. If passed, this Bill will phase out in-program commercial breaks on SBS-TV by 2016 and establish a scheme for increased funding for SBS. SBS will be better off and so will you.

If the Bill fails to become law, the future of SBS will be uncertain but commercially driven and no longer special.

Funding for the next three

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Email Minister before 8 May here

Government is to decide SBS’s funding fate for the next three years on 8 May. SBS needs more funding and your support for the Bill * now before the Senate to become law. If passed, the Bill will phase out in-program commercial breaks on SBS-TV by 2016 and establish a scheme for increased funding for SBS.

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Outsourcing SBS

SBS staff are worried about loosing their jobs to outsourcing as the broadcaster ascertains whether it is more cost effective and technologically better to outsource their presentation and playout departments. Other areas could go. But a spokesperson for SBS said news, current affairs and sport would not be outsourced.

Meanwhile one of the unions representing workers at SBS, the Community & Public Sector Union (CPSU) is taking a multi-pronged approach to save jobs and address the underlaying issue, the commercialisation of SBS. With the slogan SBS — without the special…it’s just BS the CPSU has launched

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Ensuring SBS’s survival without commercial breaks: Email your politicians here

After five years and multiple campaigns to end in-program commercial breaks disrupting SBS television programs, a Bill has been introduced into the Parliament that would achieve that, if passed. But the private Bill will only become law if several thousand people continue campaigning by writing to the Minister and Shadow Minister demanding they vote in favour of the Bill. An email to Senator Conroy at minister@dbcde.gov.au and a separate one to Malcolm.Turnbull.MP@aph.gov.au in your own words is needed saying why you do not want commercial breaks disrupting SBS-TV programs, and why you want this Bill

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2010 campaign statistics

In the month leading up to the 21 August 2010 federal election, visitors to the SaveOurSBS.org website sent 15,427 emails to selected politicians asking for a promise to increase public funding for SBS to free it from advertising. 12,835 are confirmed by emails copied to us. Not everyone copied their email to us. Some informed us, via our Contact page, that they had sent an email but are not included in the 12,835 figure. Our site statistics track the total number of emails sent by the number of unique clicks to activate the software client to

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Vote to restore SBS

tell your friends about this campaign here >

The Rudd government barely increased SBS funding with less than a stingy 6 cents/taxpayer/month* to produce Australian programs. Nothing for much needed expansion, nor catch-up money for years of chronic under-funding. And nothing to remove advertising. Under $1 taxpayer/monthClick here to read the full story . . .

Rescue SBS

tell your friends about this campaign here >

SBS has been under funded for years and all governments have shirked responsibility for funding it adequately while the pursuit of the commercial path has offended many. SBS needs more government funding and no one wants the ads. Insist that the government elected on 21

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