Maltese community leaders meet with SBS management to protest against Maltese radio program cuts

 NEWS   Following the presentation of a Joint Submission to SBS on 7 July 2015, Maltese community leaders from the Maltese Community Councils of Victoria and New South Wales, representing the majority of Maltese living in Australia, attended a meeting with SBS management on Wednesday 22 July via video link between Melbourne and Sydney to protest against the latest Maltese radio program cuts.
On 1 July 2015 SBS issued a media release announcing its decision to cease funding effective 6 August for two of the current four hours of Maltese language radio programs per week, at 12 noon on Tuesday and 2.00 pm on Thursday on SBS Radio 3. The only two remaining Maltese programs are on the analogue SBS Radio 2 schedule which are broadcast at 12 noon on Friday and 2.00 pm on Saturday.
A Joint Media release by the Maltese Community Councils of Victoria and New South Wales stated that the Maltese delegation argued strongly and persuasively against the cuts, reiterating the points that were made in their Joint Submission. They highlighted the outrage that the Maltese community feels at the latest SBS decision that will deprive the ageing Maltese community of any broadcasts in their language for five consecutive days each week from Sunday to Thursday.
The Maltese community leaders criticised SBS for again failing to consult with the Maltese community before reviewing and deciding to discontinue funding of the two additional hours of Maltese programs that SBS agreed to after considerable community protests two years ago. When in 2013 SBS reviewed its radio broadcasts schedule, savagely cutting Maltese programs from nine to two hours per week, the largest reduction for any community, SBS had similarly failed to consult with the Maltese community before announcing its decision.
At the meeting, the Maltese delegation emphasised the unfairness of the criteria applied by SBS in reviewing the radio broadcasts schedule in 2013, particularly the very low weighting (only 15%) given to the ageing criterion in the assessment of community need.
As the 2011Census clearly establishes, the Maltese community has a very high proportion of people over 65 years of age, who rely heavily on SBS Maltese radio broadcasts for information relating to aged care services and other entitlements provided by the Commonwealth and State Governments. Information is also relayed to them in these broadcasts in relation to specific services provided and available to them through the Maltese community and religious organisations. Many of them rely on these broadcasts for their participation in community activities. It provides them with a sense of comfort and security and a quality of life that they would not otherwise enjoy.
The Maltese delegation argued vigorously that, in the medium and long term, the present criteria need to be revised to ensure that the present grave injustice to the Maltese community is not perpetuated.
The SBS management representatives appeared to be receptive to the suggestion of initiating a revision of the criteria well before the 2016 Census data becomes available in order to give communities adequate time to provide their input prior to the next SBS Radio schedule review due in the next couple of years.
The Maltese delegation urged SBS to reconsider its decision in light of the arguments presented at the meeting and to reinstate the two hours of Maltese programs in question until the next schedule review.
The SBS management representatives assured the Maltese delegation that the views expressed at the meeting would be relayed back to the SBS Managing Director and the SBS Board.
At the meeting the Maltese delegation presented a petition to SBS strongly protesting against the decision to cease funding of two hours of Maltese programs on SBS Radio and calling upon the SBS management to reverse its decision and reinstate the current number of four hours per week. Over three thousand signatures supporting the petition were gathered on paper and online in a relatively short period of two weeks. The petition is also being submitted to the federal Minister for Communications, the Hon Malcolm Turnbull.