The Community Broadcasting Association of Australia (CBAA) is a peak body and the national representative organisation for community radio and television stations in Australia. The CBAA provide leadership, advocacy and support for members to actively provide independent broadcasting services and to build and strengthen local communities. The organisation provides advice and support to community broadcasters regarding a variety of issues.
The CBAA has also become a Registered Training Organisation (RTO), able to oversee accredited training for the sector. In addition to this, it also offers a national satellite network, the Community Radio Network that allows community broadcasters to share and syndicate their content.
This service has been expanded in recent years with the addition of the Digital Delivery Network (DDN). This project has allowed community radio stations to record and replay programs, interviews, and music from contributing stations within the network.
Recently the association has launched a podcast hosting service, C pod.
The organisation also runs an annual Conference, which brings together representatives from the around Australia.
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The CBAA, as the currently recognised peak body for community broadcasting in Australia, has members from a diverse range of independently operated not-for-profit community based radio stations.
The station types include:
In most cases, each licensee is the operator of a single station, in some cases with translators and repeaters to provide services in otherwise poor reception areas.
The CBAA operates to provide advice and representation to the members. It also offers insurance plans for volunteers, music broadcasting rights and news copyright fees at discounted rates for its members.
The CBAA also consults with its members on matters including broadcast licencing, the relevant Code of Practice (Community Radio), and provides training and legal advice.
The CBAA was born out of the Public Broadcasting Association of Australia (PBAA). That organisation was founded during the 1970s in response to the rapidly developing sector.
However, changes in funding for the sector during the 1980s sparked a crisis. As government funding was re-directed, the stations were less able to support themselves, or the peak body. This pressure culminated in near bankruptcy for the PBAA.
In the early 1980s, the PBAA was dissolved and from its ashes, the new CBAA arose, under strict financial management, and a focus on membership support.