Are you ready to enter the X Awards?

Have you sorted out your entries and made a plan of the pieces you intend to enter into the prestigious 2012 X Awards. You have …great because the X Awards Entries are open now and your station can enter for free provided that you are a financial member of the SCMA or you will be attending the 2012 National Regional Rural and Sub Metro Broadcasters Conference.

That’s right if you want to enter the 2012 X Awards for excellence in Community Broadcasting then entries are open right now. Just go to www.scma.org.au and click on the X Awards entry tab and you can enter. All the rules and conditions of entry are available right there on the website.

The most important thing to remember is you Must be a financial member of the SCMA at the time of judging the awards or if you are not a member of the SCMA then you must have a delegate attending the National Regional Rural and Sub Metro Broadcasters Conference and they must be registered as a delegate before the judging of the X Awards.

Entry into the X Awards is free of charge regardless of if you are or are not a member of the SCMA and all are welcome to enter the awards or become members of the SCMA or Both if they wish.

Conference registrations are now open for the 2012 National Regional Rural and Sub Metro Broadcasters Conference

You can register for the conference via the SCMA website www.scma.org.au. You will notice that conference registration costs have not changed since last year and that is part of the SCMA’s commitment to its member stations and keeping the conference as affordable as possible to all within the sector.

Accommodation cannot be booked through the SCMA for this year’s conference but there is information on accommodation bookings elsewhere on the website.

There have been some challenges in the last few months and that is why there has been a delay in getting the X award entries and the on line registrations open but they have largely been solved at this point in time. If you have any problems registering for the conference or entering the X Awards please don’t hesitate to contact Ray and he will sort it out for you as quickly as possible.

This year all entries to the X Awards and all registrations to the conference will be via the SCMA website www.scma.org.au

We look forward to your entries and registrations and just to ensure that all is running smoothly you registrations and entries will be confirmed via email this will mean that you can rest assured that they have been received and are being processed as quickly as possible.

Ballarat is the place to be from Friday March 2nd to Sunday March 4th 2012

See You in Ballarat for the National Regional Rural and Sub Metro Broadcasters Conference 2012

MEDIA RELEASE
5th November, 2011

Community Radio stations are to be challenged to a special problem-solving session during the National Regional Rural and Sub Metro Broadcasters Conference to be held at Ballarat in March.

The SCMA who organises the conference predicts the session will challenge stations attending to nominate issues that they face and then together with the rest of the conference work to solve them.

The President of the SCMA Helen Bath said the session will be just one of the many features of the 2012 Conference. It will be a great opportunity for stations to share their knowledge and assist each other to develop or to overcome some of the challenges that face us all.

Delegates will be asked to nominate the Big Issues they want to discuss during the first plenary session and they will be discussed in detail towards the end of the conference.

Helen Bath went on to say that these sessions will give members a great opportunity to ensure the topics and issues that most effect their stations will be discussed in a real down to earth problem solving session that will give all stations a chance to be part of providing each other with the assistance and support that the SCMA is well known for throughout its membership.

Planning for the 2012 conference is well underway and there is little doubt that the 2012 National Regional Rural and Sub Metro Broadcasters Conference an outstanding event with a focus on problem solving, support and growing the outstanding network that the SCMA is so well known for within community broadcasting. The SCMA is proud of the conferences ability to provide ample opportunity for community radio station members to be involved in understanding and discussing the issues confronting community radio.

The Conference will feature a wide range of information from organisations such as the ACMA and the CBF as well as individual presenters who are well known for their knowledge and expertise in many fields relevant to community broadcasting.

The National Regional Rural and Sub Metro Broadcasters Conference is just one of the highlights of the year planned for the SCMA.

The SCMA has released the dates and location of the 2012 National Regional Rural and Sub Metro Broadcasters Conference.

The 2012 conference will be held in the Historic City of Ballarat at a central CBD Location. The conference dates will be as follows:

Welcome BBQ Friday March 2nd 2012

Day 1 Conference Sat March 3rd 2012

Day 2 Conference Sun March 4th 2012

More information about the Venue and other details will be released in the next few weeks including exciting news about guest speakers and workshop topics.

The President of the SCMA Helen Bath said that the 2012 Conference will be something special. All Conference activities will be at the one Venue with Accommodation being just half a block away. Voice FM will be the host station and they are looking forward to welcoming delegates to the station for tours and the welcome BBQ.

It is all happening in Ballarat the home of Eureka and steeped in National History.

Start making plans to be at the National Regional Rural and Sub Metro Broadcasters Conference in March 2012 it promises to be a fantastic event.

For more information email conference@scma.org.au

and get good results

On a grey and overcast day after much to do within the township of Bordertown in South Australia for people stepped into the Studio’s of 5 TCB with a commitment to stay awake and be on air for the next 49 hours.

Scad and Mandy of Melomania fame along with survivor of the original Lockdown Ray and new kid on the block Stephanie entered the lockdown with mixed emotions and trepidations.

The lockdown started life last year as a concept brought together by the Melomania team and SCMA to assist the leukaemia foundation and 5 TCB. It was a success and even though it was a hard concept to get up and running and the execution wasn’t always pretty it proved to be a great event and something that was well worth the time and effort to develop it and maybe expand it to other stations as a major fundraiser.

This year the lockdown wasn’t just about 5 TCB and the Leukaemia Foundation with four other stations joining into the network the pressure was on to prove that we as community broadcasters could work together for the common good, Joining the lockdown network in 2011 were stations that shared the vision and were prepared to take a chance on something a little different and new. 2 MIA (Griffith), TEM FM (Temora), 2 GHR (Holbrook), EMFM (Echuca) and Voice FM Ballarat all stepped up to the plate and decided to have a go and see if history could be made with one of the first live simulcast broadcasts for a fundraiser within community radio could be achieved. The simple answer is yes it was achieved and yes it was successful and yes there were some problems but by in large they were overcome and the show went on.

There was a very steep learning curve and some trial and error to keep all stations happy as much as possible but that was always going to be the case and has provided the organisers with a lot of information to ensure that the next Lockdown will be bigger better and as user friendly as is possible.

So to the actual event. 49 Hours of Continuous on air content provided by four people and some 60 plus interviews. There were challenges and problems there was some personality conflicts and disagreements but all in all it went well and provided an entertaining and in most cases enjoyable listening experience. There were some notable highs such as talking with Foo Fighters and Suzie Quatro and so many others. There was outstanding acts of generosity from listeners as well as performers, one example was the guys from Noise Works who are about to put a new album together and will be in the studio soon doing just that. When we explained to them what we were doing and why right then and there live they went we want to help out we will donate a prize for two people to spend the day with us in the studio to just hang out and watch us record for you to auction off, that auction is still going on as I right this and it was already in the three figure area. Yes it was a hard 49 hours with no sleep and yes at

times the content was not the best but what it was; was proof of concept it proved that 6 community broadcasters can get together and make a difference, that we can work together and that it is possible if we are prepared to step out of the comfort zone and take a few risks.

I congratulate not only the people that stepped into that studio for the 49 hours but also the crew at Melomania and 5 TCB who supported the concept and assisted to make it all work, the SCMA for being involved and helping to put the thing together. Most of all I congratulate Voice FM, EMFM, 2 GHR, 2 TEM and 2 MIA  for taking the chance and believing enough to take on the lockdown and create that network that was interactive live and vibrant.

I know we did live crosses to most of the stations several times throughout the lockdown event and that proved to be an important link back to the communities of the stations that were taking the show and supporting the concept.

I don’t know if there will be a Lockdown in 2012 but I certainly hope there will be and if there is I am more than happy to be involved again and see the event grow and develop as a fundraiser for the Leukaemia Foundation and for Community Broadcasters in general. To quote Paul Kelly “from little things big things grow” and I hope that this is one event that continues to grow and prosper and that the stations that put their hands up to be involved in this event remain involved and continue to benefit form their vision and involvement.

The ACMA has released the new B66 Form for Community Radio Licence Renewal.

The good news is the form has been revamped and features a new Simplified layout.

The not so good news is there are some new requirements for the relicensing process and it is important that you read the form and start to put into place the procedures and actions that will make it easier for you to complete the B66 when it comes time for renewal of your station licence.

Probably the most notable of the new requirements is the requirement to provide a 5 year business plan.

This will of course mean an increased workload for station volunteer Boards of Management and Staff to ensure the I’s are dotted and the T’s are crossed but in the longer term means an increased level of awareness and better governance in place at your station.

The latest version of the ACMA’s B66 renewal form can be viewed and downloaded from here

The CEO of the SCMA has announced that as part of the ongoing commitment and development of the association’s internet presence that the SCMA has acquired a new faster Australian based server to locate its IT services on.

Web Master for the SCMA Mr Brad Ward said “The introduction of this new server will see a significant and noticeable increase in speed for both the SCMA’S websites and also for the PDS”.

The new server was brought into service earlier this week after some extensive testing to ensure that it would provide the association and it’s membership with a reliable faster way to get information out to the membership of the association.

The most significant improvements will be in upload and download time for programs available on PDS with the new server providing a faster and more stable platform for the system to operate on.

The Associations web presence is constantly being updated and developed to provide the SCMA membership with the best possible information and support.

If you are interested in finding out more about the services that SCMA have available to it’s membership please feel free to contact the associations via the contact us page on the SCMA’s web site http://www.scma.org.au/contact-us/ or simply have a look at the SCMA’s website www.scma.org.au

Ends
__________________________________________________________________

More information or comment on this release by contacting SCMA’s Web Master Mr. Brad Ward
via webmaster@scma.org.au or phone Geek Internet 03 9014 9815.
__________________________________________________________________

Monday 5th July 2010

Voice FM announces the release of their new website – www.voicefm.com.au

An exciting addition to not only Ballarats own community broadcaster but a great community resource for all.
www.voicefm.com.au is designed as a resource and information portal as well as a contact point for all things relating to the Ballarat community.

The site features a myriad of information including an events guide, a comprehensive gig guide, local news, community information and dynamic links for all things Ballarat. This valuable community asset has been a long time coming and aims to improve community access to information our community demands.

Tully Smith the Chairman of Voice FM said “We at your community station 99.9 Voice FM have been undergoing significant change in recent months with a real focus on the needs of the Ballarat community. Voice FM believes the Ballarat community deserve a website that truly reflects the happenings and events within our community”.

We encourage all parts of our community to actively participate in this vital communication portal and the website will facilitate quick easy access to local information, news and events.

Ends

Media Contact: Brad Ward (Web Master) – 0488 616 924

Great News!  Australia’s National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders music program – DEADLY SOUNDS has joined forces with the Program Delivery System to provide member stations of the SCMA another great programming option for their stations. Deadly Sounds is a weekly national indigenous music, interview and information program that runs for around 59:00 and provides stations with the opportunity to add more variety and information to their format.

The President of the SCMA Helen Bath said “I welcome Deadly Sounds to PDS.  It is great to see another quality program added to the PDS and it will prove to be a great asset to SCMA Members”

Also added to PDS in the last day is the newly developed CSA bank that has a variety of CSA’s available for member stations.  Once you have subscribed to this, any new CSA’s will automatically be downloaded to your station.

There are a lot of new programs about to be added to the PDS system as well as an ever increasing and evolving website, mySCMA site and so much more happening within the SCMA.
Not yet a member of SCMA? http://www.scma.org.au/join-scma and find out what a Can do Association can do for you

Face 2 Face PDS Training

The Program Distribution System (PDS) has been released for financial members of the Southern Community Media Association and is now available from the SCMA website www.scma.org.au without charge.

As part of our commitment to our members the SCMA is currently planning No Cost one day Training Sessions on PDS with Michael McFeeters from MJM Solutions.

These training sessions will happen in two locations Wagga Wagga NSW and Ballarat Victoria and all financial members of the SCMA are welcome to attend one or both of these sessions at no cost.

Please keep in mind that there will be a requirement to book for these sessions and a cut of gate for attendance at the sessions. Again at no cost to you the members of the SCMA.

These sessions will look at all aspects of the PDS including installation and all functionality and will provide those that attend a good grounding on everything from setting up PDS for your station to using its many features.

So the bottom line is after attending one of these sessions you should have a pretty good handle on PDS and sending and receiving via the system.

Planning for the workshops is well underway although at this point we cannot confirm the actual venues we can confirm the dates.

“PDS” Training Wagga Wagga – Saturday May 28^th 2010.

Session 1 will run from 10 am to 12 Noon

Session 2 from 1pm to 3pm

Cut off date for bookings will be May 21^st

“PDS” Training Ballarat – Saturday June 5th 2010.

Session 1 will run from 10 am to 12 Noon

Session 2 from 1pm to 3pm

Cut off date for bookings will be May 27^th

Bookings will be essential for both of training sessions please keep in mind the cut off dates as numbers at that date will determine if the session will go ahead.

As you have read in this newsletter and if you attended the conference PDS will be a valuable tool to all community broadcasters looking for material to supplement live programming as well as offering stations the opportunity to share their programs with other stations.

This can be done in several ways and will provide all member stations of SCMA with another great tool.

“PDS” stands for Program Distribution system but it is much more that that and will prove to be a huge asset to you and other stations throughout Australia.

Make the time to attend one of the face to face sessions and get to understand the advantages of using PDS and the great asset it will be to your station.

Training Bookings can be submitted via our contact form or by email to ceo[at]scma.org.au

SCMA Member becomes the first Community Broadcaster to sign Emergency Broadcasting Memorandum of Understanding

Member Station UGFM Alexandra has become the first Community Broadcaster in Australia to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in regard to Emergency Broadcasting. UGFM and the Victorian Office of Emergency Services Commissioner formalized the MOU in at studio complex of UGFM in Alexandra. UG FM played a vital role in Emergency Broadcasting during the Black Saturday fires and continues to broadcast recovery information to its area.

Community Radio has always been involved in emergency broadcasting in as much as when there is an emergency community broadcaster’s do all they can to assist.

The President of the Southern Community Media Association, Mrs. Helen Bath said “It is gratifying to see all the work of the past five years come to fruition. The SCMA has had an ongoing commitment to the formalization of community broadcasters role in Emergency Broadcasting for a long time now and we have done all we could to support our members to achieve Emergency Broadcasting Status”

CEO of the SCMA Ray Hazen congratulated the team at UG FM and in particular Peter Weeks on this achievement. Today is a proud day for all community broadcasters” Peter has been part of the SCMA’s emergency broadcasting committee that has worked hard to ensure that community broadcasters role in Emergency Broadcasting was formalized.

UG FM has made history by becoming the first community broadcaster to gain recognition as an emergency broadcaster in Australia. There are more stations in the system who will be accredited in the coming weeks as part of a push to ensure that people are better informed in times of emergency.

Bruce Esplin, Emergency Services Commissioner said “It’s a fantastic outcome to have community broadcasters now being officially recognised by the State as official emergency broadcasters.”

He went on to say “Community broadcasters can play a vital role in that they can target messages direct to local communities and reach some areas of Victoria where there is no access to commercial or other radio broadcasts”

Emergency Broadcasting and community radio really go hand in hand as Community broadcasters have a real commitment to their local community. They are local vibrant and vital and a valuable part of the fibre of communities all over Australia.

There is no doubt that the addition of community broadcaster’s to the Emergency Broadcasting MOU can only be beneficial to all in times of emergency and recovery.

The Southern Community Media Association remains committed to emergency broadcasting and supporting stations throughout Australia to achieve recognition for the emergency and recovery work they do. The president of the SCMA said “it is vital that we as an organisation remain at the ready to assist all community broadcasters in times of emergency. It isn’t about ego it is about getting the message out in a quick and concise manner and ensuring that listeners are as well informed as possible about the situation at hand.

There is no doubt that this is a great achievement not only for the team at UG FM or the SCMA but also for the community broadcasting sector in general.

Ends

For more information or comment on this release please contact the President of the SCMA on 0407770209 or via email helen@scma1.com