In another kick to the arts sector and entryways to audio and journalism careers it appears that Macquarie University has pulled its funding from 2SER. The community radio station is jointly owned by Macquarie and the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and operates out of UTS’s Ultimo campus and from what was once the AFTRS radio studios at Macquarie.
Lydia Jupp at Sydney urban publication CityHub was privy to an internal email sent by Executive Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Professor Chris Dixon who said that the partnership was no longer part of the university’s strategic alignment, financially sustainable, or necessary for student experience. A spokesperson for Macquarie University then told CityHub that the decision had been reached after “extensive reflection”, “aligns with the University’s responsibility to balance its core missions of education and research with long-term financial sustainability” and that “The University has provided the station with 15 months’ notice to support planning and transition.”
Macquarie University have two purpose-built micro studios for presentations and podcasts and a recording studio separate to 2SER.
UTS may continue to support 2SER solo, but with the University announcing last month it will cut more than 1,100 subjects and up to 400 jobs to try and save $100 million, the maintenance costs to sustain it may not be feasible either. Macquarie too is potentially cutting 42 full-time academic roles from the arts faculty, and degrees in media and the performing arts, music, politics, gender studies and more.
2SER, which celebrated 40 years in October 2019, ignited the careers of Hon Tanya Plibersek MP (Minister for Social Services), Robbie Buck (ABC Sydney/triple j), LiSTNR Head of Entertainment & Culture Mike Williams, ABC’s The World Today host Eleanor Hall, ABC Rural‘s National Political Reporter Anna Vidot, Ian Rogerson, Richard Kingsmill and many, many more.
Jen Seyderhelm is a writer, editor and podcaster for Radioinfo.
I was a volunteer and part time worker in the late 1990s at 2SER fm at both the Mq's and UTS's facilities.
At that time, the station was funded jointly by UTS and Mq as well as revenue supplying secondary carrier programming, 'SCA' via its 67kHz subcarrier. At that time the Croatian programs were operating 24 hours.
Further funding came from programs in a language other than English, 'LOTE' on weekends: Armenian, Polish, Samoan, Greek, Arabic, Tamil and Persian, to name a few.
The revenues from SCA programs and LOTE programs stopped.
With Mq stopping funding what will happen to 2SER facilities on campus? Is Mq's facilities used for 2SER a factored in the funding?
Then given UTS's recent $100 million cuts to its faculties and courses will that flow on to media courses on offer and affect 2SER?
I cannot answer the last two questions.
However, a loss of funding and functionality by both UTS and Mq may affect the reason for the existence of 2SER's licenceas an educational broadcaster as instituted in 1979.
The resulting question is whether 2SER exist in its own right with its own facilities and fulfil its educational charter as a licensee and remain on air or else be an online offering only?
Anthony, Strathfield South, in the land of the Wangal and Darug Peoples of the Eora Nation
Further to my above remarks, we could learn from 5UV now Radio Adelaide, Australia's first community radio station.
5UV started in 1972 at the University of Adelaide.
The University ceased funding in 2016 and is surviving today.
Given threats to 2SER's existence as an educational station due to funding uncertainty from UTS and Mq, the 5UV now Radio Adelaide experience could serve as a model for 2SER's continued existence.
https://adelaideaz.com/articles/adelaide-university-ends-ownership-of-radio-adelaide-in-2016--cuts-to-student-union-fees-from-2005-part-of-ongoing-funds-squeeze .
Anthony, Strathfield South, in the land of the Wangal and Darug Peoples of the Eora Nation