No Ads 2009 SBS Budget screen 2 of 2

STEP email Wayne Swan, & other politicians (previous screen) - STEP 2 email Kevin Rudd (this screen)

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Dear Prime Minister,

I am very concerned about the inadequate funding that SBS has endured which has led it to rely on advertising, and to interrupt programs with commercials.  The pursuit of advertiser support has led the SBS to stray from its multicultural charter.  This is a disgraceful result for our multicultural broadcaster and is not the Australian concept for any public broadcaster.

At its National Conference in April 2007, Labor acknowledged the importance of the SBS and committed Labor to ensuring adequate funding and support for the SBS, to enable it to continue to provide Australians with high quality services, "free from political and commercial interference" (alp.org.au/platform/chapter_16.php) then in the lead up to the Nov 2007 election the ALP publicly stated "Labor has opposed and continues to oppose the decision by SBS to introduce in-program advertising" (saveoursbs.org/archives/165).

Senator Conroy Oct 2007: "The introduction of in program advertising to the SBS in effect makes the SBS a de facto fourth free-to-air commercial television station and serves to erode the fundamental tenets of public broadcasting- that is, that it should be free from commercial and political influence" (saveoursbs.org/archives/127).

The May 2009 Federal Budget is the time to restore SBS to the multicultural broadcaster it was supposed to be. I want the government to live up its pre-election sentiment to support and fund SBS adequately, with an immediate end to interrupting programs for commercial breaks followed by a phasing out of all advertising on SBS. I urge you to significantly more than double the triennial funding for the SBS coupled with a phasing out of advertising completely.

In these economic times it is more important than ever to support our public, multicultural broadcaster so it may once again be a 'special' broadcaster not reliant on advertising.

If the inadequate funding of SBS is not resolved and if SBS continues down the commercial path, not only will the 2009 Federal Budget be seen as a lost opportunity to correct years of neglect but I will remember you as the Prime Minister who essentially broke a promise regarding funding and advertising on SBS. I have not forgotten what Labor promised before the election. I would rather history cite you as the Prime Minister who rescued SBS by funding it properly and ended the commercialisation of SBS without commercial breaks.

Please tell me how you will address this issue.

to preview then send your email to Kevin Rudd direct from the Prime Ministers website.

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