Imparja Television has today welcomed the Albanese Government’s commitment to provide immediate additional funding to keep broadcasting services on-air in the bush.
The Budget handed down last night included additional funding for remote television services, including Imparja, the Indigenous-owned not-for-profit broadcaster delivering commercial television services to the most remote areas of the country.
Imparja Television CEO Mr Alistair Feehan said: “Without urgent additional funding, Imparja Television was facing having to dramatically cut services by 30 June. We thank the Government for listening and responding to ensure that we can continue to deliver vital services to remote Australians.
“As the Government has also recognised, further urgent action is needed to address the remote broadcasting crisis which continues to cut off remote Indigenous Australians from national and international news, views and entertainment.”
Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT)[1] research has revealed that up to 80 percent of Indigenous households have no working television service due to damaged cabling or dishes and defunct set top boxes.
“We cannot allow remote indigenous Australians to be disconnected from the basic television services that the rest of the country takes for granted. We are pleased that the Albanese Government has committed to a plan to restore these services.
“We look forward to working with Minister Rowland and Albanese Government to deliver on this commitment. Indeed there has never been a more important time for all Australians, including First Nations people living in remote areas, to be connected and involved in a public policy discussion,” Mr Feehan said.
[1] https://apo.org.au/node/321218
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