STOP PRESS: Listen to the Minister for Youth Affairs on SYN FM's "Get Cereal" announcing the Victorian Government's commitment to helping SYN FM continue to deliver quality radio training and to improve its facilities.
Download a transcript of the interview here (.rtf, 16KB).
The Victorian Government is committed to providing young Victorians with more opportunities to have their voices heard on community radio stations across the state.
What is community radio?
Community radio has been around since the 1970s, providing an alternative to commercial or government-funded radio stations.
Community radio stations are often established to address a need within a particular community. They are strictly non-profit organisations.
Community radio stations provide a voice for communities that would otherwise not have the issues relevant to their own homes and lives discussed on air. They also provide training opportunities so that people can learn what is involved in all aspects of radio production.
Be Heard! - Community radio grants for rural & regional Victoria
To encourage young people's participation in community radio in rural and regional areas, the Victorian Government is assisting with funding to provide:
- Workshops in community radio production
- Linking people to their local stations
- Funding to allow station facilities to be upgraded
Community radio lets young people develop skills and career pathways in radio broadcasting. It also promotes local events and opportunities, and showcases the talent and achievements of people in your community.
The Victorian Government has committed $200,000 over four years for rural and regional community radio stations to increase the participation of young people, particularly in production and broadcasting.
In January 2012 Minister for Youth Affairs Ryan Smith congratulated the first 10 rural and regional community radio stations to receive a $5,000 grant as part of the Be Heard! program.
Grant recipients were:
- The Pulse
- Bacchus Marsh Community Radio
- Voice FM
- 3BBR FM
- 3MDR Mountain District Radio
- Gippsland FM
- Mitchell Community Radio
- Upper Goulburn Community Radio Inc
- Central Highlands Broadcasting Incorporated
- OSCAR 3HCR FM
Subsequent grant rounds will be held in July 2012, 2013 and 2014. For more information about Be Heard!, contact Greg Box at the Office for Youth on greg.box@dhs.vic.gov.au.
To find a community radio station near you, you can use the station-seeker tool on the CBOnline Find a Station page (new window).
If you are a representative of a community radio station you can download the Be Heard! grant registration form here (.doc, 33kb).
SYN
In addition to the Be Heard! program, SYN Inc. will also receive funding of $200,000 over four years.
SYN Inc. is a youth-run media organisation that provides training and peer mentoring to young people who have an interest in radio and television production. The funding will also enable SYN to deliver capacity-building initiatives for the young volunteers who perform management and operational roles at the station.
It is estimated that more than 8000 young people have been directly involved in SYN, many of whom have gone on to work in the creative and media industries.
The Victorian Government is pleased to provide funding to SYN FM to allow them to continue working with and training young people in media production.
For more abut SYN Inc., check out www.syn.org.au (new window)
