CFAs: Specialist Radio Programming Grant (Australia)

Deadline: 12-Aug-25

The Community Broadcasting Foundation is pleased to announce the Specialist Radio Programming Grant to assists with the development, production and broadcast costs of specialist radio programming content to meet the needs of particular communities.

Funding is available for Specialist Radio programming for:

• First Nations Australians program
• Ethnic programs
• Radio Reading (formerly RPH) programs to serve people with a print disability

Objectives

• The objectives of the Specialist Radio Programming grants are to support community media organisations to:
  • Increase the diversity of voices and languages in community media
  • Increase community participation in community media
  • Engage with, connect to and reflect their community
  • Ensure diverse communities have access to information, cultural and local content that enriches their communities

Ineligible Funding 

• You cannot use the grant for other costs that don’t relate to the production of the specialist program, including:
  • operational costs, subsidies for station salary positions, other training or equipment not related to the program, which can be applied for as part of the station’s Development & Operations grant application
  • Content production costs more appropriately applied for as a Content grant application
  • Spotify and Youtube subscriptions as these licenses are for personal use only and their content cannot be publicly broadcast
  • overseas travel
  • payment of membership fees
  • access/airtime fees imposed by the station
  • costs incurred prior to 1 July 2025
  • station costs that could be met by its in-kind contribution, such as studio hire fees and admin sta? work time
  • contingency costs
  • sponsorship production

Who can apply?

• Eligible organisations include:
  • a community radio station
  • a Remote Indigenous Media Organisation or Remote Indigenous Broadcasting Service
  • incorporated not-for-pro?t organisations auspicing applications for program groups broadcast on a community radio station
• The following organisations or individuals are not eligible to apply:
  • applicants seeking support for TV content.
  • RPH licensed stations.
  • a community radio station broadcasting radio reading programs within the broadcast ‘footprint’ of an existing radio reading (RPH) service, unless that service does not broadcast any local content.

What conditions apply?

• All Specialist Radio Programs must:
  • be on air by the start of the upcoming funding period (1 July 2025) OR in development to be on air within the funding period (July 2025 – June 2026)
  • be produced locally – programs originating elsewhere for local re-broadcast are not eligible
  • be broadcast regularly, at least fortnightly between 6am–1am (i.e. not overnight) for the entire funding period
  • be at least 30 minutes long
  • be a minimum of 80% specialist programming material including culturally relevant music and spoken word including social, cultural or political issues of importance to the relevant community and news and information relevant to cultural and language maintenance, with an emphasis on local perspectives.
• First Nations Specialist Radio programs:
  • A First Nations Australian program broadcast on a non-Indigenous licensed station must be produced and presented by First Nations people or groups. Funding from the First Nations Community Broadcasting Fund in this grant program cannot be allocated to a program that is produced and presented by non-First Nations people
  • A First Nations Australian program broadcast on an Indigenous licensed station must be produced and presented by a First Nations person or group and, due to the limited funding available, must include 50% Indigenous language content and/or content produced and distributed within a remote Indigenous community
• Ethnic Specialist Radio programs:
  • An Ethnic program must be produced and presented by a person or group of people broadcasting to a de?ned local ethnic community which has input into the content of the program. The program’s spoken language must be at least 50% in a language other than English except where English is the native or common language of the cultural community (e.g. Irish, Indian) or where the program is produced and presented by people under the age of 30. Spoken word content must be no more than 25% religious
  • A Multicultural program must be produced by a group of at least 3 broadcasters from di?ering language/cultural backgrounds and address issues of multiculturalism, identity, settlement, etc. It can be in any language
• Radio Reading Specialist Radio programs:
  • A Radio Reading program must conform with Standards for RPH Programming on Community Radio.
    • Sponsorship announcements, music, standard news bulletins such as National Radio News (NRN), and other items not speci?c to the needs of people with a print disability do not qualify as radio reading content
    • All printed items shall be read in full. Material shall be presented with an appropriate identi?cation of: the publication, edition, date of publication, page number and author’s name. In no circumstances shall the text be varied, or any editorial comment be o?ered in relation to an item.
• Consultation requirements:
  • Applicants must meet with Specialist broadcasters (either in person or via phone or video) to ensure:
    • broadcasters are su?ciently supported by stations and incorporated organisations to provide interesting and relevant content for local communities
    • broadcasters and station representatives have an opportunity to discuss any issues and include specialist programmers in the overall station community
    • everybody understands and commits to the grant guidelines requirements for Specialist Radio Programming support throughout the funding period
    • everybody understands and agrees to the funded items requested
    • everybody is aware of their grant expenditure record keeping requirements.

For more information, visit Community Broadcasting Foundation.