Federal Government commits to another year of funding for NITV
The Federal Government has announced it will commit to another 12 months of funding for National Indigenous Television (NITV) to the value of $15.2 million.
The announcement:
April 6, 2011 –
NITV today welcomed the Federal Government’s commitment to ongoing funding for NITV beginning with a 12 month extension of funding to the value of $15.2M and its move into the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy portfolio.
The renewed 1-year funding and the transfer of responsibility into the communications portfolio are effective from July 1, 2011 and follow the release today of the Report of the Review of Australian Government Investment in the Indigenous Broadcasting and Media Sector, led by Neville Stevens, AO.
Ken Reys, NITV Chairman, said, “The funding renewal and our being moved into the Communications portfolio is a big step forward for NITV and the Indigenous broadcasting sector. We have been fighting for more than two decades to have this level of recognition within the Australian media landscape.
“We believe the Government recognises the contribution we are making in helping to close the gap between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians. We also welcome the recognition in the Stevens Review Report that ensuring continuing editorial independence for NITV is crucial and that NITV should be funded on a triennial basis.”
During the next transitional year NITV intends to negotiate with the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy about its future including the option of a free-to-air presence. “We look forward to productive discussions with Senator Conroy and hope to realise our goal of becoming the National Indigenous Broadcaster on free-to-air television. Being free-to-air is a key component of our ability to move towards a more sustainable funding model into the future,”said Mr Reys.
“We also welcome continued dialogue with Senator Conroy about NITV’s evolving organisational structure. We have been in discussions with the Federal Government for more than six months about governance and structure, during which time we have already implemented a number of managerial changes and appointed a Stakeholder Manager.”
“We remain optimistic about the future and the role we can play in helping the Federal Government achieve key goals in its Closing the Gap initiative. We will continue to commission and broadcast high-quality, original and award-winning Australian content. Our programs are increasingly being viewed by Indigenous and non Indigenous Australians alike and we will continue to show to the Federal Government our impressive return on investment.“
NITV’s $15.2M funding represents half of the total funding for Indigenous Broadcasting Services across Australia.
As noted in the Government’s press release, NITV will also announce a fuller response to the Review in due course.
Source: NITV press release
All Indigenous people across this great country of ours welcomed NITV with open arms and the promise of sharing Indigenous media content with broader Australia public, and I was one of them people.
Moving NITV under the umbrella of the Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy is a start, but more needs to happen. NITV needs to clean the house out first before it can become something of greatness. The move from NITV outlined in the report will bring much needed control and transparency into the spending of our Black dollars. It will also bring equity and opportunity to all content Indigenous content providers through the country, or we hope it will.
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Just reading through the Report and found that if your an Independent Indigenous media organisations attempting to remaining sustainable and non-government funded that you will be excluded in the Reports approach. Basically while some mob are attempting to develop economically and be sustainable this Report will not assist you in any way, and I’m afraid nor will the Governments approach in the Report.
You will not also be able to share and access the National Indigenous News Service (NINS) if your a sustainable Indigenous business. Clearly states in the report ‘The service to be available to all licensed Indigenous broadcasters’. Not you if your a sustainable Indigenous business. So no sharing of the content people only if your Government funded, come-on Senator Conroy, people in business need opportunity too.
Lets not forget that two of the most successful and long lasting Indigenous media outlets in the country, Koori Mail and National Indigenous Times are based on business models.
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