Report released on changes to the CBF

A final report has been released on changes to the community broadcasting funding body, the CBF.

Over the past two years the Community Broadcasting Foundation has worked through a process to revise its organisational structure and governance arrangements to “better manage and distribute funding to community broadcasters – now and into the future”.
 
Key benefits offered by the new model as outlined in the report are:
 
Making grant processes more straight-forward for applicants who will apply under three categories: Development & Operations grants, Content grants, and Sector Investment grants.

The grants process will be more applicant focused and demand driven and applicants are able to ask for funding support for their needs and priorities.

Most funding opportunities will not be platform specific. Support will be provided for community broadcasting through radio, television and other distribution platforms.
The CBF will still fund radio and television/video content but will also adapt to the demand for other forms of distribution. Grant applications will still be assessed by community broadcasters.


 
The CBF will transition to its new structure in 2016, and there will be new grant categories open for application in early 2017.
 
In order to minimise disruption to stations, program makers and sector organisations during the transition, the Board has set a grants calendar for 2016 that sets the deadlines for all grant rounds.
 
Some grant deadlines are earlier than usual, and the length of some ‘funded activity periods’ will be longer than usual.
 
 Other key benefits outlined in the report include:

  • Helping the sector respond to a rapidly changing media environment
  • Encouraging more grassroots involvement in grant assessment processes

 
There are also changes in structure of the CBF board and assessment committees. To ensure the “CBF Board, advisory committees, and assessor are appropriately skilled”

  • Board of Directors – Responsible for overall governance of the CBF, providing direction on organisational objectives, policy and practice.
  • Sector Investment Advisory Committee (SIAC) – Provides an independent advisory role on funding objectives, policy and practice, and considers Sector Investment funding processes.
  • Development & Operations Grants Advisory Committee (DOGAC) – Provides an independent advisory role on grants disbursement and the formulation of funding policy. Makes funding recommendations on Development & Operations grants.
  •  Content Grants Advisory Committee (CGAC) – Provides an independent advisory role on grants disbursement and the formulation of funding policy. Makes funding recommendations on Content grants.
  • Assessor Pool – Independently considers, scores and provides advice on Content and/or Development & Operational grant applications.

 
The new governance and structural model will go ahead despite opposition from ethnic community broadcasters, as reported earlier by radioinfo.
 

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