SBS announces Indigenous language broadcast drive
Author: Penelope Bergen | Source: CAAMA | Date: 07-11-08
SBS today announced it will commence national consultations with Indigenous communities to get inspiration and formulate ideas for a long-term Indigenous content strategy for SBS television, radio and online based around Indigenous languages.
SBS plans to integrate the use and promotion of Indigenous languages across its television, radio and online platforms. It is envisaged that this will include:
Commissioning Television programs to showcase Indigenous languages and engage the broader Australian community in the existence of and history of Indigenous languages. Incorporating Indigenous language and stories into SBS’s exploration of its new brand identity and six billion stories and counting tagline.
Engaging Australia’s diverse multicultural community with Indigenous languages by commissioning radio material that explores the history and depth of Indigenous languages. Incorporating Indigenous languages for consideration into the SBS radio schedule review which will look at expanding in-language services across the analogue and digital radio schedule.
Developing new SBS online sites that support Indigenous content on SBS television and radio as well as original content that explores the rich diversity of Australia’s Indigenous languages.
SBS will collaborate closely with Indigenous producers, advisers and communities and form partnerships with organisations such as the Federation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Languages (FATSIL) to ensure its content strategy supports initiatives already underway to document, nurture and protect Indigenous languages.