Local

In a time where local content on radio (particularly regional) is a hotly debated issue, there is no question that community broadcasters around Australia are the number one providers of locally produced content. The latest sector survey showed that 78% of all content broadcast on community stations is locally produced (CBD 2007).

They provide local news and information, emergency services information, local music, culture and events targeted specifically to local communities and produced by members of the community themselves.

This is precisely why so many people listen to community radio. According to the latest McNair Ingenuity Community Radio National Listener Survey over half the audience state their main reason for listening is for the ‘local information/local news’ that community radio provides. This is complimented by just over 4 in 10 listeners citing ‘local voices/local personalities’ as their reason for listening (McNair 2008).

Community broadcasters are unparalleled in their ability to provide locally sourced and produced content. Indeed community radio is increasingly the only source of local content in many areas. Nearly one third of all community radio broadcasters are the sole providers of local radio programming in their area. This is particularly the case in rural and regional areas where 38% of stations are either the only radio service in their local area or the only source of local content (CBD 2007).

At the same time, 16 per cent of stations that operate within limited metropolitan licences – otherwise known as ‘sub-metros’ – are often the only radio services providing local news and information to their local suburbs.

Community radio stations across Australia broadcast on average over 131 hours of local content per week. This level of local programming stands in stark contrast to the local content obligations for commercial radio licensees who, since 2007, are obliged to provide only 3 hours of locally produced programming a day (with even lower levels of obligation of 30 mins for small, remote, and racing broadcasters) (CBD 2007).