The government has renewed SBS triennial funding in the budget, allocating $90.0 million in 06/07, $91.9 million in 07/08 and $93.9 million in 08/09, but SBS says that amount is $3 million less than this year, and is not enough for its plans to expand radio services.

Managing Director Shaun Brown says he is “disappointed” with the budget allocation.

SBS had asked for an additional $9.2 million to develop digital radio transmissions and $2.3 million to expand the transmission of its language service on SBS Radio’s national network. Nor did the budget include a requested $3.1 million for marketing these new developments.

The government also did not renew the $4.7 million SBS says it needs to fund sporting rights, nor, says Brown, did it give enough money for the corporation to expand into digital tv multichanelling.

Communications Minister Helen Coonan’s only comment on the SBS budget allocation was that SBS is “one of Australia ‘s primary cultural institutions with a very significant and valued role to play in Australian broadcasting.”

The Government will continue the additional funding, first provided to SBS in 2000–01, for the purchase of overseas programming at a cost of $3.8 million in 2006-07, bringing SBS’s total funding to $186 million in the next financial year.