National Indigenous Radio Service

The National Indigenous Radio Service is a satellite program feed available in Australia to community radio stations that are subscribers of the CBAA’s Community Radio Network. The NIRS provides targeted and specialist programming for and by Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander broadcasters. From its base in Brisbane the NIRS provides a feed of programs and music supplied by a number of contributing stations including Koori Radio, 4AAA and 8KNB.[1]

Subscribing stations are able to re-transmit individual programs or entire blocks of program time as needed. As NIRS is broadcast 24 hours a day, stations with limited resources who are unable to provide a full-time service can use NIRS to fill the gaps between local programming. For those radio stations that already broadcast 24 hours a day, NIRS gives them access to national coverage of current affairs and indigenous issues, which some stations may not have the resources for to provide themselves.[2]

Funding

The National Indigenous Radio Service receives the bulk of its funds from the Australian Government through the Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts.[3] The service can also broadcast limited advertising in the form of sponsorship and offers an in-house production and placement service.

Programming

Along with its bed of purely Australian and Indigenous music is national programming covering topics such as health, education, Government department updates and issues relevant to Indigenous Australians. Other programming includes regional news, sporting events and coverage of live music and festivals.[4]

Australian Rules Football

During the home and away season, NIRS broadcasts descriptions of at least three Australian Football League matches every weekend.[5] Expert commentators in 2011 included Gilbert McAdam, Ronnie Burns,Chris Johnson, Indigenous Team of the Century umpire Glenn James, and Darryl White.[5]

Simulcast

The National Indigenous Radio Service broadcasts on relay & simulcasts on CAAMA Radio FM programs.

VAST

In December 2013, the National Indigenous Radio Service will join the new VAST satellite platform.

National Indigenous News Service

The National Indigenous News Service also operates from the Brisbane base and provides an hourly five minute bulletin of regional, national and international news. The bulletins are an Indigenous focused news service with Indigenous news from across the country taking priority over mainstream news.[6]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "About the NIRS". NIRS. 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-03-21. Retrieved 2008-07-18.
  2. ↑ "Communications in remote Indigenous communities". ACMA. June 2007. Retrieved 2008-07-18.
  3. ↑ "Indigenous Broadcasting Program". DEWHA Australia. 2008-04-10. Retrieved 2008-07-18.
  4. ↑ "NIRS Programs". NIRS. 2008. Retrieved 2008-07-18.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "AFL 2009". www.nirs.org.au. Retrieved 2009-07-05.
  6. ↑ "About NINS". NIRS. 2008. Retrieved 2008-07-18.

External links