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Save Our SBS, Thursday, 1 June, 2017 "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 example, providing In-Language Australian news and current affairs on our radio programs – that is something you could
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Save Our SBS, Thursday, 18 May, 2017
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 custodians of SBS to also take note of viewer concerns and wipe out in-program commercial breaks. The idea that a public broadcaster
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Save Our SBS, Saturday, 6 May, 2017
Mary Kostakidis today called on ordinary people to oppose the further commercialisation of SBS in a campaign called, Preserve our media diversity: Don’t turn SBS into Australia’s fourth commercial TV network.
The former SBS World News Australia presenter, Ms Kostakidis said, “Save Our SBS and I launched the website campaign so that SBS viewers can voice their concerns about the government’s plans to make SBS even more reliant on advertising. We expect the government proposal to become more apparent following the Budget.”
Save Our SBS President, Steve Aujard said, “The government are going to have
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Save Our SBS, Saturday, 6 May, 2017
by Mary Kostakidis
The relentless push to further commercialise SBS has been ramped up yet again with SBS management and government set on increasing advertising within programs. This destructive policy will ultimately make the public broadcaster – SBS – indistinguishable from mainstream commercial television.
Not only will advertising be more intrusive, it will also increasingly become the driver of programming decisions and the public broadcaster will continue to be manoeuvred away from its Charter obligations.
When SBS first accepted limited advertising between programs, both the Managing Director and then Communications Minister told me this would not result
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Save Our SBS, Wednesday, 26 April, 2017
Save Our SBS released the findings of a nationwide survey today that showed 91% of SBS viewers want an end to SBS broadcasting betting and gambling advertisements.
Save Our SBS President, Steve Aujard said, "SBS viewers believe that such advertisements are not good for social cohesion. This finding is significant because the SBS Corporate Plan states that the purpose of SBS is to contribute to a cohesive society" (SBS Corporate Plan 2016-17, pg 2).
Mr Aujard said, "The survey of 1,176 people was conducted in the first week of April and included people from every State and
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Save Our SBS, Tuesday, 14 February, 2017
SBS has a new Chairman, Dr Bulent Hass Dellal AO. Dr Dellal is no stranger to SBS.
The Minister for Communications, Senator Mitch Fifield announced the appointment today.
Save Our SBS president, Steve Aujard welcomed the appointment and said, “Dr Dellal was appointed as a Director to the SBS Board in 2010 and has been the Deputy Chairman since 2011. He has been Acting Chairman for the past year. Previously we have met with Hass and look forward to working with him in the future.”
SBS Managing Director, Michael Ebeid said, “On behalf
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Save Our SBS, Tuesday, 18 October, 2016
At Senate Estimates today, the Deputy Secretary of the Department of Communications & The Arts, Nerida O’Loughlin said that the government would soon introduce a bill to increase advertising on SBS.
Later, SBS Managing Director Michael Ebeid acknowledged the advertising bill remark.
Last year Save Our SBS gathered 62,000 signatories in a petition opposing the bill that would have increased commercial disruption on SBS to similar levels as seen on commercial free-to-air television.
Currently SBS airs 5 minutes of advertisements per hour – limited by legislation – plus about 4 minutes
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Save Our SBS, Thursday, 1 September, 2016
Today, Independent MP Andrew Wilkie and Senator Nick Xenophon gave notice of a joint motion calling on the Minister for Communications Senator Mitch Fifield to limit gambling advertisements on SBS.
The motion comes on the back of SBS broadcasting Sportsbet ads in the mid-year UEFA Cup.
In July, Save Our SBS called for a total ban of all betting and gambling advertisements on SBS.
In a statement Mr Wilkie said, “The new Parliament presents a perfect opportunity to finally achieve meaningful gambling reform and we’re starting with tackling gambling advertising. .
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Save Our SBS, Monday, 20 June, 2016
Save Our SBS put six questions – the same questions – to the Coalition, Labor and Greens parties about their policies for SBS. This is what they promised.
The full unedited answers are in the Q&A section lower down this screen.
The Greens are the only party who will move advertising away from programs on SBS. Labor does not plan to alter the advertising arrangement at all. The Coalition have already introduced a Bill to increase primetime advertising. Labor has not promised to return the cuts made to SBS by the Coalition but the Greens have.
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Save Our SBS, Tuesday, 3 May, 2016
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
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Save Our SBS, Friday, 8 April, 2016
Following talk last month of an ABC-SBS merger and ongoing public concern that SBS had deviated from its Charter, SBS has announced changes on how it will commission programs so they reflect the special nature of the broadcasting service and the SBS Charter.
Next month, the SBS commissioning team will become two teams, scripted and non-scripted.
The non-scripted team will be responsible for documentaries, food, entertainment and factual programs, while the scripted team will be responsible for drama and comedy.
“The SBS Charter is at the heart of SBS commissioned
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Save Our SBS, Monday, 7 March, 2016
Today, Save Our SBS President Steve Aujard welcomed the introduction of SBS Arabic24, a new 24 hours a day Arabic digital radio service and an online hub for Arabic speakers.
Mr Aujard said:
Arabic speakers are the third largest group in Australia and its very pleasing to see SBS providing this service which is spot on charter. SBS radio broadcasts nationally in 74 languages.
The station will deliver the latest Australian and international news, information and analysis to Arabic-speaking Australians.
Commenting, SBS Managing Director Michael Ebeid said:
SBS Arabic24 delivers
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Save Our SBS, Thursday, 3 March, 2016
Although SBS is currently without a permanent chairman, this week high profile supporter of multicultural broadcasting and former chair of SBS Joseph Skrzynski AO spoke out against the idea of an ABC-SBS merger. Mr Skrzynski wrote in Fairfax Media that for every $1 SBS spends to reach each TV audience member, the ABC spends $3, and SBS delivers double the amount of TV per TV employee compared to the ABC. The former SBS chairman detailed why a merger made no economic sense and echoed concerns of the wider community opposed to a merger of the two
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Save Our SBS, Wednesday, 24 February, 2016
This opinion piece by Save Our SBS President Steve Aujard, was first published on 23 February 2016 in the New Daily, here.
ANALYSIS: A merger of Australia’s two public broadcasters would spell the end of multicultural programming in this country.
While ABC chief Mark Scott is prone to talking up the idea of merging Australia’s two public broadcasters, he has never been able to justify how multicultural broadcasting would be improved under ABC control.
Let’s be realistic about what Scott is proposing. It is not a merger of equals but a takeover of SBS and
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Save Our SBS, Tuesday, 23 February, 2016
A 40-page report released today raises the possibility of niche programs being relegated to internet, apps and catch-up platforms as part of an ABC-SBS merger. Niche programs are central to SBS.
Commenting on the report, Save Our SBS President Steve Aujard said, “This is deeply disturbing. The SBS and NITV free-to-air broadcast channels could cease to exist as we know it.”
The Australia Institute’s report, titled, “I want my ABC (and SBS and NITV)” claims to have examined the risks and potential benefits of a merger.
The report was written by former ABC digital
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Advertising bill will manoeuvre SBS away from its Charter obligations
by Mary Kostakidis
The relentless push to further commercialise SBS has been ramped up yet again with SBS management and government set on increasing advertising within programs. This destructive policy will ultimately make the public broadcaster – SBS – indistinguishable from mainstream commercial television.
Not only will advertising be more intrusive, it will also increasingly become the driver of programming decisions and the public broadcaster will continue to be manoeuvred away from its Charter obligations.
When SBS first accepted limited advertising between programs, both the Managing Director and then Communications Minister told me this would not result
Click here to read the full story . . .