Last week’s Federal Budget announced that the funding for the Australian Music Radio Airplay Project (AMRAP) will not be renewed.
Managed by the CBAA (Community Broadcasting Association of Australia), the project currently distributes new Australian music to over 300 community radio stations, inclusive of 2,000 broadcasters. The current funding of the project by the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy will end at the end of June, 2012.
The Government’s lack of renewal of this valuable project will be a significant loss to community radio.
“Community radio plays such a critical role in the development of Australian musicians”, said artist manager Catherine Haridy, Chair of the Australian Music Grants Advisory Committee (AMGAC) at CBF. “It’s incredibly disappointing to see such a valuable project that gets Australian music to radio stations all over the country cast aside at this point and we are determined to work with Government to find a way to keep the project going.”
CBAA’s General Manager Kath Letch has since begun discussions with Senator Conroy about the future of AMRAP and the chances of maintaining the program.