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About Us TV Programming Production News WorldWatch Sport TV Reception Content Sales Audiences Program Classification Subtitles Advertising SBS Radio ABOUT US What do the letters SBS stand for? Special Broadcasting Service What is SBS? The Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) is a national, public broadcaster with a special mandate to reflect the multicultural nature of Australian society. SBS is established under the SBS Act 1991 and has a Board of Directors appointed by the Government. Responsibility for SBS lies within the portfolio of the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts. However, the SBS Act provides SBS with editorial independence from government. Does SBS have a Codes of Practice? Yes. The SBS Act requires SBS to develop Codes of Practice relating to programming matters and to notify these to the Australian Communications and Media Authority. The Codes are public statements of the principles and policies SBS uses to guide its programming. Copies of the Codes are available on request or you can view them at Codes of Practice How is SBS funded? The bulk of SBS funding – about 80% - comes from Government appropriation. The remainder of SBS's operating budget comes mostly from advertising and sponsorship. What services does SBS provide? SBS is a national multicultural and multilingual broadcaster unique in the world. SBS Television broadcasts in more than 60 languages and is watched by more than 7 million Australians each week. SBS Radio is the world's most linguistically diverse radio network, broadcasting in 68 languages to a potential audience of more than three million Australians who speak a language other than English in their homes. SBS Online provides audio streaming in 68 languages – more than any other website in the world – and includes the popular soccer website www.theworldgame.com.au and the comprehensive world news website www.theworldnews.com.au When did SBS Radio begin? The radio network began in 1975 with two fledgling radio stations – 2EA in Sydney and 3EA in Melbourne – broadcasting four hours a day in seven and eight languages respectively. It was a three months experiment in multilingual broadcasting confined to Australia's two largest cities. SBS Radio today broadcasts 24 hours a day, seven days a week, on AM and FM frequencies in Sydney and Melbourne and is heard Australia-wide on a national signal that reaches all capital cities and many regional centres. When did SBS Television begin? SBS Television began in 1980 and it too started first in Sydney and Melbourne. Gradually other cities as well as regional and rural centres joined the network. Today SBS's analogue signal reaches 95% of all Australians, while its digital service, which began in 2001, reaches an estimated 80% of Australians. More than half of all programming is in languages other than English. These programs are made accessible to all Australians through the use of English language subtitles. With more than 400 international and local program sources, SBS Television draws upon the largest range of source material of any television network in the world. How many people work at SBS? SBS employs about 900 people (full- and part-time) Do you have to come from a non-English speaking background to work at SBS? No. Many of our jobs, however, do require proficiency in languages other than English. Almost all our radio producers broadcast programs in languages other than English, and our subtitlers prepare English language subtitles for TV programs in languages other than English. All jobs at SBS require an understanding of the SBS Charter, including an awareness of the contribution cultural diversity has on the continuing development of Australian society. How can I apply for work experience at SBS? A Work Experience application form can be obtained by phoning (02) 9430 3654 or writing to: SBS Human Resources, Locked Bag 028, CROWS NEST, NSW 1585. You may also email enquiries to workexphr@sbs.com.au Return to top TV PROGRAMMING How does SBS decide its program schedule? SBS Television is a multicultural broadcaster serving all Australians. To reach across Australian society, SBS seeks to strike an appropriate balance between: English language programming which is readily accessible to a general population; non-English language programming subtitled in English, which may serve the needs of particular communities, and which is accessible to a wider audience; and non-English language programming which directly serves the needs of particular communities, and which may be of some interest to other audiences. As far as possible, SBS Television aims to provide programs across all languages spoken in the community and will transmit them on the basis of availability and quality. More than half of all SBS programming is in languages other than English. With mostly SBS-produced English language subtitles, these programs are accessible to the widest possible audience. Much of the English language component comes from SBS produced or commissioned programs which account for one third of SBS broadcasting time. Is there a quota system for certain languages? No. Programs are chosen on the basis of their suitability to the schedule and the SBS Charter. We are aware of the many languages spoken in Australia, but when we assess programs, in whatever language, we take into consideration their accessibility and relevance to people who don't speak that language. How often do you repeat programs, in particular movies and documentaries? It is our practice to repeat documentaries once and movies twice. The second or third transmission is often at non-peak viewing times, although programs that have drawn a strong viewer response are often repeated in prime time. The average gap between transmission times is around twelve months, but this can sometimes vary depending on other factors, including timeliness or viewer demand. How long do you take before repeating a particular program? We usually purchase the rights to screen documentaries twice and films three times. Why do you show so many English language programs, particularly in prime time? Most of the English language component comes from SBS productions, which account for one third of SBS broadcasting time. This includes SBS news, current affairs and sports programs, which are made in English and transmitted in prime time. Other SBS produced magazine programs, series and documentaries are made mostly in English, our common language, and they also are transmitted in prime time. Many programs in languages other than English (LOTE) are broadcast in this time slot too. The 90-minute block (7.30 - 9.00pm) routinely broadcasts documentaries and other programs in a variety of languages, with narration in languages other than English re-narrated in English. And late night movie slot is dominated by movies in languages other than English. Why do you have lots of programs from some countries and almost none from others? Many countries, especially developing countries, produce programs specifically targeted to the local population that don't translate easily to the broader world audience. The limited number of programs produced in these countries, and the narrow range of program genres in other countries, can also mean that there are very few programs available that are suitable for the SBS schedule. Why do you show some movies with a black strip at the top and bottom? Over the years, movies have been made in many different formats, with the ratio between the top-to-bottom and left-to-right dimensions varying considerably. A standard television screen is about the same aspect ratio as the classic 'Academy' cinema ratio which was the standard until the introduction of CinemaScope in 1953. Then came the 'European' widescreen and 'American' widescreen, each with a wider shape than the standard television screen. Other networks solve the problem by cropping each side of the image and enlarging it so that there is no black at the top and bottom. But this means that a good deal of the original movie frame, on the extreme left and right, is lost. We feel this is an unwarranted interference in the film's creative look and so we show as much of the left-right image as possible, resulting in a black strip at the top and the bottom. This is a process called 'letterboxing'. One advantage is we can run the subtitles in the black area beneath the image, thus saving the entire movie image from obstruction. What is the source of SBS programs? Most SBS programs are purchased from program distributors and sometimes directly from producers from around the world. A large proportion of our Australian produced programs are commissioned by SBS Independent, the commissioning arm of SBS Television. These programs include documentaries, dramas, comedies, entertainment, feature films and animation. Why are scheduled programs sometimes cancelled at short notice? Will they be shown later? Unforeseen events, such as important breaking news, satellite problems and technical difficulties sometimes lead to programs being interrupted or cancelled at very short notice. In such instances, we endeavour to advise viewers with a 'crawl' at the bottom of the screen and to re-schedule any cancelled programs in the near future. Can I get a transcript of a program you have screened? Most programs we receive arrive with a limited amount of publicity material, usually a synopsis, cast of characters and images for publicity purposes. We rarely receive transcripts or produce them ourselves. Some programs, including Dateline and Insight, have associated websites, which provide extra details about a program or possible transcripts. Why does the program schedule change from what is advertised in the TV guides? Occasionally, SBS is forced to amend or change its programming at short notice, often due to reasons out of our control. When this occurs we send an amendment to the newspapers and TV guides. These changes can usually be accommodated in the daily guides but as some weekly guides are printed a few weeks in advance, it is too late to include these corrections in these publications. If an advertised program is removed from your schedule, how long will it be before it is re-scheduled? Generally, we try to include it as soon as possible. However, we have to be mindful of the printed TV guides and our own advanced scheduling plans in order to re-introduce the program without it adversely affecting the existing schedule. Do you have an advance TV schedule on your website? A three to four week advanced television schedule of SBS programming can be found at www.sbs.com.au/whatson How can I send a media release to your TV/Radio newsrooms? Media releases can be emailed to the Chief of Staff of TV News at: cos@sbs.com.au or faxed through to (02) 9430 3040 (TV News) or (02) 9438 1660 (Radio Newsroom). Who do I speak to regarding a proposal for a new show? SBS has limited funds for program productions. However, SBS Independent (SBSi) does commission a wide range of programs (principally documentaries and dramas) from independent Australian producers. SBSi itself is not a production unit, and almost all projects are independently financed, produced and owned. For further information please go to the SBSi website at: www.sbs.com.au/sbsi How do I complain about a program? SBS recognises two forms of complaint: an 'informal' complaint about a program, and a 'formal' complaint about a program that alleges a contravention of the SBS Codes of Practice. To make an informal complaint, you may: • Ring our toll-free number 1800 500 727 or phone SBS's Sydney switchboard on (02) 9430 2828. • Email your informal complaint to comments@sbs.com.au; or • Write to the appropriate programming area within SBS at: SBS, Locked Bag 028, Crows Nest, NSW 1585. For matters relating to SBS Radio Melbourne, write to: Station Manager, SBS Radio Melbourne, PO Box 294, South Melbourne, VIC 3205. You may not receive a written response, but your comments will be passed on to the area concerned for their information. To make a formal complaint you may: • Write to: Audience Affairs Manager, SBS, Locked Bag 028, Crows Nest, NSW 1585 • Send a facsimile to (02) 9430 3047. • Email your formal complaint to formalcomplaints@sbs.com.au; • Click here to use the online complaints form. You must identify yourself (name and address), identify the program concerned, the date of broadcast and if possible, identify the Code of Practice you believe applies to your complaint. For further details, please refer to Code 8 in the SBS Codes of Practice or read more on the Complaint page. Return to top PRODUCTION How many hours of Australian programming does SBS broadcast? SBS TV broadcast more than 2,600 hours of programs produced by SBS or commissioned by SBS Independent (SBSi) in 2005-06. Its total broadcast hours were 6,982. All of SBS's Australian programming - other than news, current affairs and sport - is outsourced and commissioned through SBSi. In 2005-06, SBS broadcast 478 hours of Australian drama, documentaries and entertainment programs commissioned by SBSi. Of these 222.5 hours were first-run programs. In the same period, SBSi commissioned 367 hours of programming - a record number in SBSi's 12 year history. Why doesn't SBS TV cover multicultural festivals, either on the news or in special programs? SBS each year receives hundreds of requests to cover festivals and special events throughout Australia. Unfortunately, we have neither the funds nor the resources to meet the vast majority of these requests. Occasionally we do cover single special events of national significance or relevance. The emphasis of SBS programming is on multicultural issues as distinct from multicultural events. Return to top NEWS What are your sources for international news? SBS World News draws its news material from the widest range of international sources of any broadcaster in Australia. Daily television news feeds are received from Associated Press Television News (APTN); the BBC; ITN; Channel 4 (UK) and the ABC Network in the United States. We also subscribe to news wire services from Australian Associated Press (AAP) and Agence France Presse (AFP). An important additional source of international news is SBS's exclusive access to the 18 foreign language news programs that make up the network's WorldWatch service. Return to top WORLDWATCH Why don't you subtitle the WorldWatch news bulletins you broadcast each morning? Subtitling is a very exacting and time consuming procedure. On average, every hour of a subtitled program involves about 50 hours of work. With such time constraints it would be impossible to subtitle the 18 different languages broadcast in WorldWatch. The delay would mean that the news bulletins would be outdated by the time they are ready for presentation. At present, WorldWatch bulletins are transmitted as soon as possible after receiving them via satellite to ensure that their news content remains current. On average, SBS offers seven hours of non-English language news programs per day. As for the nightly World News bulletin in English, the soundtrack of all foreign language material included is retained in its original form but the dialogue is subtitled in English for the broader Australian audience. Is SBS World News captioned for the deaf and hearing impaired? Yes. Captioning of SBS World News – the first prime-time news bulletin to be captioned – began 24 March 1997. The service is available to viewers with a teletext receiver. Why don't you have bureaus in every capital city? SBS simply does not have the resources to establish bureaus in each capital city. Who determines which language news programs are broadcast? A consultative process, involving relevant communities, precedes management recommendation to the SBS Board which makes the final decision. Who decides the broadcast times of the individual programs? Often they are at difficult times to watch? It is impossible to please every community. Generally, the schedule is dictated by availability, i.e. the nightly Asian bulletins are generally available earlier than Europe-based services. Another consideration is to avoid clashes with SBS Radio's five signal network. This means that some of the major language news bulletins are outside peak hours. In order to give people an alternative, the WorldWatch bulletins are repeated or updated on the digital SBS World News Channel. To obtain SBS's digital services requires a set-top box decoder. Why isn't the BBC included in the WorldWatch schedule? The BBC and other English language international news providers offer their bulletins on Pay Television. For this reason, their bulletins are not provided or sold to free-to-air broadcasters like SBS. An exception is the 'NewsHour with Jim Lehrer' from the United States which is provided to SBS by the Public Broadcasting System of America. Why are some of the world's biggest languages not broadcast on WorldWatch? While SBS is making every effort to include news programs from the major broadcasters of the world and for the major community groups in Australia, some programs are difficult, expensive or impossible to access due to technical communications problems or existing contractual obligations. Do all the news broadcasts come from public broadcasters? While it is true that the majority of overseas news suppliers are public or national broadcasters, SBS has a number of private partners including ATV in Hong Kong and NTV in Russia. Is the line up of news bulletins on the digital World News Channel different to WorldWatch? The World News Channel is identical to WorldWatch in the morning between 5:25am and 12:30pm when the World News Channel goes into repeat or update mode, although not strictly in the same order as repeat rights are restricted in some cases. Sometimes bulletins appear to be cut short. Do you edit these programs? In general, SBS leaves bulletins as they are received in order to preserve their integrity. However, in exceptional circumstances, edits are made where the material is in obvious breach of Australian broadcast regulations and guidelines. Furthermore, commercials and local sponsorship messages are removed where necessary and where possible. When programs overrun their allocated duration, SBS has no alternative but to cut the end in order to start the following bulletin close to time. Why does SBS not run language-related stand-by programs when a bulletin is not received? It is technically and logistically impossible to maintain a library of suitable standby programs. If a particular news bulletin fails to be run for technical or other reasons, that does not mean that that particular time slot is automatically reserved for a program in the same language. Unlike SBS Radio, no non-English language program has a reserved timeslot in the SBS Television schedule. News happens seven days a week, why can't SBS schedule the same services all week long? Why is the Sunday line-up different? Some news bulletins are not made available seven days a week. For this reason SBS decided to reserve Sunday for news magazine programs which are mainly received by courier service rather than satellite. Some communities, which are not big enough to warrant a daily satellite service, are provided with a weekly review program as a means to keep abreast of developments in their countries of origin. Return to top SPORT How can I get football results or details of forthcoming fixtures? Overnight football results and a selection of fixtures of forthcoming matches can be found on The World Game website located at www.sbs.com.au Details of other scheduled sporting events can be found at www.sbs.com.au/sport. Why do you broadcast so much soccer? Soccer is the most international of sports. It is the world's most popular sport, and the sport most favoured by migrant and non-English speaking communities in Australia. Although soccer is a natural priority on SBS, it is not carried to the exclusion of other sports. SBS has in fact pioneered comprehensive television coverage of many other sports, among them cycling, motorcycling, gymnastics, figure skating, skiing and ice hockey. Mainstream Australian sports, such as Australian football, rugby league, cricket and tennis, are adequately covered on other networks. Why do you show so much European soccer? European soccer has the broadest appeal among our viewers. It also is the easiest to import because it is usually readily available, neatly packaged for international audiences, and relatively inexpensive. The same does not yet apply to football from other parts of the world, including South America where soccer programs or games, pre-packaged for the foreign market are not yet available. The SBS budget does not allow us to buy huge volumes of individual games from South America and post-produce them for an Australian audience. Why doesn't SBS broadcast major sports events to Perth live? SBS has a uniform national schedule. To go live in Perth would mean splitting the schedule because of the time difference between the eastern states and Western Australia. Scheduling priorities usually mean this cannot be done, although on some occasions, notably the FA Cup final and the various European Cup finals, the network signal is split in order to transmit live in Perth. Return to top TELEVISION RECEPTION How can I find out about transmission problems in my area? For general information or advice about SBS reception, viewers can contact our Network Development and Operations department during business hours on the toll-free number 1800 500 727 or Sydney (02) 9430 2828. Alternatively, they can access the SBS website for information about reception, digital transmission, interference, transmitter sites, frequencies and Self-help subsidies at: www.sbs.com.au/transmission/transmission.html Is SBS TV received Australia wide? More than 90% of Australia is covered by the SBS analogue signal, reaching a potential audience of more than 19.3 million people. Some isolated areas in regional, rural and remote Australia do not receive SBS broadcasts. What is the Self-Help scheme? More than 300 communities have chosen to fund their own local SBS Television transmitter under an arrangement called the Self-Help scheme. This is a relatively low-cost way by which communities can own and operate their own local transmitter, thereby eliminating the need for households to install large and expensive antenna systems. Besides delivering the SBS Television signal, a separate and inexpensive transmitter can be used on the same site and mast to re-broadcast the SBS Radio service. Write to SBS Self-Help, Locked Bag 028, CROWS NEST, NSW, 2065 for a free booklet. Or phone (02) 9430 2828 or fax (02) 9430 3700. Why can't I pick up SBS Television? SBS operates on the ultra high frequency (UHF) transmission band which sometimes makes it more difficult to receive than other stations, especially those on the very high frequency (VHF) band. If you can't receive SBS it may be because SBS is not available in your area. It's also possible that you live in a poor reception zone where signals are affected by obstacles such as hills or buildings. Apart from these circumstances, the most common reason people can't pick up SBS is because they don't have a suitable outdoor aerial designed for SBS reception. Some older TV sets are not fitted for UHF reception. And in some cases viewers haven't tuned their set to the correct channel. How can I improve my TV picture? If you can receive SBS Television but the picture is not as good as you would like it to be, a properly installed outdoor aerial will usually help improve the picture. Correct tuning of the set will also help if the tuning is out of adjustment. Some people's reception can be affected by electrical interference and other technical problems. If you can't solve the problem yourself you may need the help of a qualified service technician. Why is SBS on the UHF band and not VHF? In most areas outside Australia's capital cities the UHF band is shared by SBS and some commercial broadcasters and quite frequently by the ABC. But in the capital cities the three commercial stations and the ABC are on VHF and SBS is the on UHF band. Initial SBS broadcasts in Sydney and Melbourne were simultaneously transmitted on VHF Channel 0 and UHF Channel 28, but the VHF channel was fraught with technical difficulties and was subsequently dropped. I'm in a remote location, how can I receive the SBS satellite service? The SBS satellite service can generally be picked up anywhere in Australia, apart from Western Australia. The service is on the Optus B1 satellite and you will need a dish of about 1.5 metres diameter and a special satellite receiver, which will probably cost several thousand dollars to install. This will also give you ABC and, in some parts of Australia, one commercial channel. Return to top CONTENT SALES Can I buy VHS or DVD videos of programs broadcast on SBS Television? Only selected TV programs are available on home video. Check the SBS Shop at www.sbs.com.au/sbsshop. Why are most of your programs not available for purchase on DVD or Video? SBS usually only buys broadcast rights to the TV programs it screens. For a list of available SBS TV programs on VHS and DVD video go to www.sbs.com.au/sbsshop. What other program-related merchandise is available for purchase? For a complete list of available SBS merchandise (books, CDs and videos) go to www.sbs.com.au/sbsshop. Are there special discounts for teachers, schools or tertiary institutions? Selected programs are available for schools, libraries and tertiary institutions from Marcom Projects. For a complete list go to www.marcom.com.au or email marcom@marcom.com.au. Discounts from retail stores are at the discretion of the retailer. Where can I purchase SBS DVDs, CDs and books? Dymocks, JB Hi-Fi and selected ABC shops Can I purchase SBS Merchandise such as T-Shirts, caps, pens and other items? SBS does not produce such items for purchase. Return to top AUDIENCES How many people watch SBS Television? About eight million people watch SBS each week. In 2005, SBS Television's prime time (6pm to midnight) audience of people 16 years and above was 6.4% in the five mainland capital cities. Does SBS gauge audience opinions? SBS commissions the audience research company, Newspoll, to regularly conduct telephone surveys of viewer attitudes about SBS and its programming. A nationwide Newspoll survey in June 2006 found: • 91% agreed that SBS has types of programs you would not see on other TV stations • 86% agreed that SBS (TV, Radio and Online) plays an important role in today's culturally diverse society • 79% of people find value in SBS (TV, Radio and Online) • 89% of people believe it is important that SBS be available to provide an alternative to commercial television • 79% believe it's important that SBS be available to provide an alternative to ABC Television • 73% agree that SBS has better coverage of overseas news than other TV stations (70$ in 2002) Return to top PROGRAM CLASSIFICATION Does SBS have its own censorship guidelines? We classify the programs broadcast on SBS and use the guidelines of the Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC). These guidelines are used in the classification of all films and videos, by SBS, the ABC, and by Pay television. A separate classification system, The Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice, based on the OFLC guidelines, was adopted by commercial television stations. What program classifications are used by SBS? General (G); Parental Guidance (PG); Mature Audience (M); Mature Adult Audience (MA); Mature Adult Audience - strong violence (MAV). Consumer advice on the reasons for these classifications is given prior to the start of the program. SBS has a further set of generalised warnings which relate to 'distress' and 'offence' and other more specific areas such as 'graphic surgical procedures' and 'cruelty to animals'. These are unique to SBS. Does SBS censor programs? We try to do this as little as possible and will schedule stronger material late in order to avoid editing. Occasionally, however, a program must be cut to bring it within the guidelines. If we judge that the required cut (or cuts) would seriously damage the overall integrity of a program, we would not purchase it. Return to top SUBTITLES Why do you use different types of subtitles on SBS? SBS adopted its distinctive colour, font and size of subtitles after extensive research. With colour material – films and documentaries – it was found that yellow letters with thin black borders provide the maximum degree of contrast. For black and white material we use white subtitles. As a rule, SBS prefers to subtitle all material to our standard, and frequently we reject overseas subtitled material and re-subtitle them. Exceptions to this practice occur when no unsubtitled print of a key program exists; where suitably qualified subtitlers for some minor languages or dialects can't be found; and where the material's topicality and expeditious broadcast leaves no time for our own subtitled version. Return to top ADVERTISING Why is there advertising on SBS TV and SBS Radio? Advertising and sponsorship announcements are allowed on SBS Television and SBS Radio, but cannot exceed five minutes per hour. This provides a valuable source of revenue for the networks, allowing more funds to be channelled towards program making. How many ads can be shown in an hour? Five minutes of advertising is permitted each hour, before or after programs and during natural breaks. Does advertising influence program content? SBS has specific program guidelines to ensure this does not happen. What happens to the revenue raised from in-program breaks? Revenue raised from in-program breaks is invested in quality content, including Australian content. For example, additional revenue raised following the introduction of in-program has been used to expand World News Australia to its current one-hour format. Why do you show so many station IDs and program promotions? SBS wishes to attract the biggest possible audience and one way to do this is to alert viewers of forthcoming programs. Not all viewers have access to TV guides and short promos of the following program or future programs is an effective method to raise viewer awareness of the SBS schedule. The brief station IDs help maintain SBS's on-air image. Return to top SBS RADIO Is SBS Radio broadcast nationwide? SBS Radio's national signal is broadcast to all capital cities, the surrounding metropolitan areas, and some regional cities. This is achieved by a five-signal network. Melbourne and Sydney each have an AM and an FM station, and elsewhere SBS is heard on the national network. Many regional and metropolitan community stations re-broadcast SBS Radio programs received via satellite. How many languages are broadcast on SBS Radio? SBS Radio currently broadcasts in 68 languages. Each language program includes news and a mixture of current affairs, interviews, community information, entertainment, sport and music. Does SBS radio broadcast in English and when? Yes, English programming on SBS occurs in several instances, including: • World View, a one hour current affairs program, is broadcast weekdays (6am and 5pm) on the AM networks in Sydney and Melbourne and on the national network. • Alchemy, a youth-oriented program featuring arts, music and talk is broadcast from 11pm to midnight every night on all SBS stations (except Fridays FM only). It is also broadcast overnight (until 6am) on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights (FM Sydney and Melbourne). • Nightwatch, a special news and current affairs segment recapping the week's events, is broadcast every Friday night at 12pm on the FM frequencies in Sydney and Melbourne. • The Aboriginal program broadcasts in English on Wednesdays at 12 noon and Fridays at 9pm on the AM frequencies in Sydney and Melbourne as well as on the national network. • The African program also broadcasts in English on Fridays at 11pm on the AM frequencies in Sydney and Melbourne as well as the national network. • The German program hosts a national one-hour business show in English on Wednesdays (see schedule for times). • English news and current affairs from BBC World Service and Deutsche Welle are programmed in the overnight time slot. Why are radio programs networked between Melbourne and Sydney? SBS Radio has production centres in Sydney and Melbourne servicing one AM and one FM station in the two cities, and broadcasting almost parallel programs. The networking between centres makes programming more efficient and cost-effective. Duplication of programs is avoided and broadcasters have more time to research, collect and collate material, and prepare programs. Where can I get a program schedule for SBS Radio? Visit www.sbs.com.au/radio and view the Radio Schedule. Alternately, call SBS for more details on: 1800 500 727 national toll free (02) 9430 2808 for Sydney residents (03) 9685 2525 for Melbourne residents Who decides what languages are broadcast on SBS Radio? The SBS Board. How is it decided how many programs go to air? The SBS Radio program schedule is drawn up following comprehensive community consultation and determined by a set of criteria including the number of language speakers, proficiency in English, and the proportion of recently arrived migrants. Is advertising permitted on SBS Radio? Yes, advertising is allowed on SBS Radio for five minutes within a one-hour radio program. In addition, paid information campaigns by Government departments and agencies are permitted. Return to top |
