Contextual information
Number and location of community broadcast licenses with an Indigenous interest
Data tables appear under figures
Measure
Number and location of community broadcast licences with an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander interest
Nationally, at 30 June 2024, there were 154 community broadcasting licences with an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander interest, of which 91 were long-term community radio broadcasting licences, and 63 were temporary community radio broadcasting licences. The majority of licences are located in regions determined by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) as remote (132). Almost half of all licences are in the Northern Territory (69) (figure SE17g.1).
Indicator data specifications
Related outcome: | Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have access to information and services enabling participation in informed decision‑making regarding their own lives. |
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Related target: | By 2026, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have equal levels of digital inclusion. |
Indicator: | Number and location of community broadcast licences with an Indigenous interest |
Measure: | The measure is defined as the number and location of community radio broadcasting licences with an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander interest, as at 30 June. |
Indicator established: | National Agreement on Closing the Gap 2020; indicator included April 2021 |
Latest dashboard update for the indicator: | 13 November 2024 |
Indicator type: | Contextual information |
Interpretation of change: | A high or increasing number is generally desirable as this indicates greater access to broadcasting services, but access to services should be considered in the context of population need and/or the geographic coverage of each broadcaster’s service. |
Data source(s): | Name: Community Radio Broadcasting Licences Frequency: Periodic Documentation (links): https://www.acma.gov.au/about-community-broadcasting-licences. |
Data provider: | Provider name: ACMA Provider area: Community Broadcasting and Safeguards Section |
Baseline year: | 2015 |
Latest reporting period: | 2024 |
Disaggregations: | State and territory and Australia, by ACMA region. |
Computation: | Counting rules The number and location of community radio broadcasting licences allocated under the Broadcasting Services Act 1992. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander interest refers to ACMA community interest categories of ‘Indigenous’ and ‘Torres Strait Islander’. Community broadcasting services (as defined in the Broadcasting Services Act) hold a community broadcasting licence from ACMA. Where the service holds multiple licences, all licences are counted where the community interest is recorded by ACMA as ‘Indigenous’ or ‘Torres Strait Islander’. Community radio broadcasting licences include:
Community radio broadcasting licences are counted as at 30 June, annually. ACMA maintains its own categorisation of regions for the location of each broadcasting licence. Categories are metropolitan, regional and remote. |
Data quality considerations: | The data on the number of TCBLs is not available for 2015 and 2016. Community radio broadcasting licences are subject to the licence condition that the licensee will continue to represent the community interest that it represented at the time when the licence was allocated or last renewed. Community radio broadcasting licences authorise the provision of a community radio broadcasting service in a specific geographic licence area. The geographic coverage of each licence may vary. The actual geographic coverage of the service may not be the same as the specified licence area. See the ACMA website for further information about community broadcasting licensing: https://www.acma.gov.au/about-community-broadcasting-licences |
Future reporting: | Future reporting will seek to include the following additional disaggregations:
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