In our first second round of funding for 2018/19, we granted a total of $1.74 million to 93 organisations. We’re pleased to support community media projects across Australia, including those listed below.
All grant allocations are detailed in our Grants Allocations spreadsheet (XLS file, 39KB). For more inspiration, see other examples of community media organisations bringing Australian stories to life.
Beyond the Bars (3CR)
Beyond the Bars is a compelling series of live prison radio broadcasts from Victorian jails during NAIDOC week. Programming will be presented by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander broadcasters, giving voice to the songs and stories of prisoners. Beyond the Bars has been allocated funding for three years.
Ramadan Chef (2MFM)
Muslim Community Radio’s Iraqi program group will produce a radio and video short series in Arabic and English, Ramadan Chef. This series will include eight sessions of a weekly cooking competition during Ramadan, followed by 28 episodes that will cover how to prepare the dishes that were put together by the final round competitors.
Mainland Tonight (RMITV)
Mainland Tonight will be a live comedy tonight show hosted by one of Australia’s funniest women, filmed before a live studio audience. This high-quality TV series will be female-driven and a training ground for the next generation of Australian comedy writers. Mainland Tonight aims to correct the gender imbalance, both on screen and in the writers’ room.
Treasuring Mothers Show (Ultra106five)
Ultra106five will produce Treasuring Mothers, a program seeking to offer encouragement, support, and practical advice to women at all stages of the mothering journey, through engaging content and interviews.
Hosted by accomplished content producer Jenny Baxter, Treasuring Mothers aims to strengthen and empower women and mothers to cope with the rigours of life such as budgeting, healthy eating, legal matters, mental health and exercise.
The Broadford Courier (3OKR)
3OKR will produce a series profiling The Broadford Courier newspaper which was produced between 1891 and 1978. This series of eight short episodes will feature the people behind the paper and the machines that produced it.
Storykeepers – You and Me (Youthworx)
This inspiring documentary web series hosted by Boori Monty Pryor will journey into the lives of Australia’s great storykeepers. Through Boori’s eyes, we will meet and learn about some of the country’s most inspiring figures such as Wurrundjeri elder Joy Murphy, historian and activist Gary Foley, children’s author Alison Lester and satirist and author Dr Anita Heiss.
No Land, No Livelihood, No Home (4EB)
Across the Pacific and parts of Queensland, climate change is making itself felt in communities, especially in the lives of women and children. But women are also at the forefront of responses around the world. This 10-part series will focus on the little-heard stories of amazing women bringing a gender lens to climate change and its impacts, to bring attention to this issue and influence change.
Small Change (SACOSS)
SACOSS will produce Small Change, a weekly radio show on Radio Adelaide (and podcast) featuring lived-experience stories of poverty and disadvantage . This series will celebrate the achievements of individuals and community organisations including homelessness, Indigenous rights, disability, child protection, the cost of living and a fair tax system.
Joshie’O & Kui (4AAA)
4AAA will produce a weekly radio program for and by young people, representing the diverse voices within the Indigenous and broader community. This program will focus on pop and chill-country music, mixed with interviews to be broadcast nationally on NIRS with highlights repackaged for podcasts.
New RPH service in Darwin (Vision Australia Radio Network)
Vision Australia Radio Network will establish a full-time radio reading service in Darwin. This project will help volunteers to deliver radio reading alongside local content, for local blind and low vision communities, improving social connection.
Strategic planning and governance training (3KND)
The team at 3KND will be undertaking governance training and a strategic planning process to build the capacity of Indigenous media in Melbourne into the future. This training will support a new chapter at 3KND following the recent establishment of a governing organisation to manage their community broadcasting license and as they make plans to move into a new facility in an old police station.
Sponsorship Coordinator (MAINfm)
MAINfm will recruit a part-time Sponsorship Coordinator dedicated to managing relationships and attracting new sponsors, including contributors to their annual radiothon. This role will relieve the Station Manager who will focus on community engagement activities such as community events, outside broadcasts and training.
Studio two and Production Room (3MDR)
Following the fit out and move to a new location, 3MDR will expand to build a second broadcast-ready studio. This expansion will allow presenters to prepare for upcoming shows ahead of time, including sound checks with guests and musicians. A production studio will support training members and provide a new income stream for the station with hiring of the space open to local podcasters and community organisations.
Equipment to support off-site community engagement (Tribe FM)
Tribe FM will be investing in equipment to support community engagement, including training youth at remote locations and staging outside broadcasts.
Station relocation (5BBB)
5BBB will be moving out of their run-down building on the out-skirts of town, to a new site in Nuriootpa. This move to a more central location will include replacing their original STL antenna.
This new station location will increase community engagement and provide a safer environment for broadcasters (who will happily bid farewell to the resident rodents and the occasional snakes inhabiting their current location).
Equipment for the second studio (Triple Y)
Triple Y in Whyalla will purchase a console and accessories for their second studio which will be used for recording community dairies, pre-recording of shows, training, multi-guest interviews, broadcasting live local music, and as backup equipment for their other studio.
Volunteer training (Radio Goolarri)
Radio Goolarri broadcast essential radio services to Indigenous people of Broome and surrounding communities. In the coming year, they will increase the skills of volunteers with additional training, focused on interview skills and media law.
800 MHz support
(Inner FM, 3WAY, Meander Valley Community Radio, 2TLP Midnorthcoast Indigenous Broadcasters, 4US Central Queensland Aboriginal Corporation for Media, 5KIX FM Kangaroo Island Community Broadcasters, 3BBB Ballarat Community FM Radio Cooperative & 2LIV Pulse 94.1FM)
This round, eight more stations impacted by the re-organisation of spectrum in the 849-852 MHz range were granted funds to support alternative means of linking from their studio to their transmitter.
