Community Radio Safe As Budget Rejects Funding Cuts

Community radio has been spared potentially crippling funding cuts tonight as the budget rejected recommendations to abolish the sector’s funding.

While the ABC and SBS will lose one percent of their funding over the next four years, the recent campaign by the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia seems to have swayed Treasurer Joe Hockey’s opinion.

Adrian Basso, President of CBAA, told theMusic.com.au tonight, “We’re very relieved.”

“I was always hopeful that the Government would see sense and reject the recommendations, which would have turned the back on 40 years of bipartisan support [of community radio]. And full credit to them for doing it.”

While tonight’s budget is good news for community radio, the future of digital expansion for the approximately 360 stations still needs cementing.

“We’re going to re-group, we’ve spent the last week head’s down running the campaign. Now we’ll have further discussions…