Policies

CHARTER

2SER SEEKS TO PROVIDE INNOVATIVE, DIVERSE AND HORIZON BROADENING RADIO.

The mission of Sydney Educational Broadcasting Ltd. is to operate community radio station, 2SER-FM, and related media services, providing a stimulating forum for learning and the expression of alternative ideas, informed by and promoting principles of social justice. In pursuit of its mission the company anticipates, reflects and responds to the social, cultural and educational needs of the diverse Sydney community. The Company is committed to freedom of enquiry and the pursuit of excellence in educational broadcasting and the promotion of interaction between community groups.

The station seeks to achieve these objectives in the following ways:

(a) Producing a wide range of talk and specialist music programming aimed at servicing the needs and interests of the members of the wider Sydney community regardless of age, ethnic or socio-economic background.

(b) Promoting through its programming a sense of intellectual integrity, open mindedness and a sense of the importance of ideas.

(c) Encouraging participation in station activities by members of the community, including provision of experiential learning opportunities for individuals interested in radio.

(d) Providing as much access as it reasonably can to disadvantaged groups in the community.

(e) Using methods and forms of programming which encourage interaction between educators and the audiences.

(f) Developing and presenting programs which promote education and wider participation in life long learning.

(g) Assisting parent institutions to achieve their community outreach objectives by facilitating their interaction with community groups.

(h) Encouraging innovation and diversity in forms and content of broadcasts. Station activities and practices should recognise the central role played by the mainly volunteer workforce.

SPONSORSHIP POLICY

All sponsorship, paid government and community service announcements broadcast on 2SER-FM, will be subject to the following conditions:

1. Announcements will meet the requirements of the Broadcasting Services Act, the Community Radio Codes of Practice and any other standards or codes pursuant thereto.

2. All sponsorship announcements must acknowledge the financial support of a sponsor,

e.g. company x is proud to sponsor Wednesday Overdrive

Payam-E-Pars acknowledges the support of business y

Person z is a supporter of 2SER-FM

3. Sponsorship announcements are limited to a maximum of five minutes per hour.

4. Announcements must receive specific prior approval of written copy by the Managing Directed or their nominee.

5. Announcements are to be produced and presented in a style and form consistent with the program in which they are to be placed.

6. Sponsorship Announcements will endeavour to avoid and break down prejudice or discrimination.

7. Sponsorship Announcements will be factual statements about the sponsor, and will not use superlatives (e.g. fastest, cheapest, biggest range, best tasting etc.)

8. Sponsorship Announcements may mention prices where this information is essential and integral to the sponsor’s service (e.g. price of tickets for a concert, rates for telephone calls to Greece for particular date etc.) but will not take the form of lists of good/services and prices.

9. Scheduling and frequency of announcements must be made with regard to the programming in which they are placed.

10. Sponsorship announcements will not be accepted from persons or groups whose policies or practices are inconsistent with the general directions of 2SER as indicated by the Station Charter and Program Policies.

11. Sponsorship announcements will not be accepted from registered political parties.

12. Any sponsorship proposal, which involves special programming initiatives, must be approved by the Program Manager.

13. The station reserves the right to refuse any paid announcement.

PROGRAMMING POLICY

1. 2SER-FM will present a diverse range of community radio programs consistent with the organisational mission and audience profile.

2. 2SER-FM will encourage innovation and experimentation with the radio form while pursuing a listener-friendly format and programming which acknowledges how people listen to radio.

3. 2SER-FM programming will:

a) explore areas of debate, information, music and cultural activities not adequately covered by other media; b) encourage listeners to make their own informed and critical judgements; c) endeavour to reveal insights into the social, political and cultural aspects of society; d) emphasise and encourage Australian content in terms of composition and production; e) present a clear and identifiable station image.

4. The station will provide links between educational organisations, specifically UTS and Macquarie University, and the wider community by programming which: a) increases awareness of issues and opportunities for lifelong learning; b) encourages discussion within and across disciplines; c) involves members of the university communities; d) promotes university events and activities; e) assists with the universities community outreach objectives.

5. The station reserves the right to broadcast subject matter and language which some people might find offensive, if such usage is considered appropriate and justified in context.

6. The station affords listeners the right of reply to programs, subject to negotiating with the station on an appropriate form of reply and time of broadcast.

7. 2SER-FM will observe all relevant laws, regulations and standards applicable to community broadcasting and adhere to the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia’s Codes of Practice

MUSIC POLICY

In line with the Station Charter and the general Program Policies, 2SER will present a diverse and challenging range of music that will fulfill the following functions:

1.Programs will emphasise and expand the role of music in defining and realising the identity of the station as a community educational broadcaster.

2. Programs will maintain a commitment to music that is composed and produced in Australia in terms of both its Asian-Pacific and International context.

3. Programs will be responsive to, and questioning of, the distinctive social and political role of music in the formation of an equitable multicultural and multilingual society.

4. There will be an ongoing development of innovative and experimental approaches to both music programming and content that distinguishes itself from the demands and ideologies of the recording and entertainment industries.

5. The station will ensure that it is at the forefront of music programming and content by identifying and anticipating transformations in, and expectations of, both a specialist and a general audience.

6. Programs will emphasise the relation of music to educational processes, to alternative ideas and to the principles of social justice, as they appear in the station’s mission statement.

7. Programs will identify and develop an understanding of the importance of a range of musical styles and cultures within the community.

8. The station will maintain a commitment to new developments, distribution and reception of music at all levels of the community.

9. The station reserves the right to broadcast musical and lyrical material that some people might find offensive, if such usage is considered appropriate and justified in context.

10. Music programming will observe all the relevant laws, regulations, and standards applicable to radio broadcasting and adhere to the Community Broadcasting Codes of Practice.

NEWS AND CURRENT AFFAIRS POLICY 

2SER-FM News and Current Affairs broadcasting will be subject to the station’s Charter and Program Policies, and will in particular:

1. Report accurately, interpret, and make intelligent and informed comment.

2. Encourage discussion, debate and exchange of ideas, which contributes to a more informed, educated, co-operative and compassionate society.

3. Adopt a genuinely critical and constructive standpoint on all issues, and encourages or provokes critical thought and analysis by our listeners.

4. Give attention to a wide range of intelligent viewpoints, and especially those under-represented in the media and social decision-making.

5. Combine a global perspective with a concern for national and local issues, and draw connections between these issues wherever appropriate – taking special note of issues affecting Sydney.

6. Present news and current affairs material in entertaining and stimulating forms making creative use of the radio medium – including appropriate use of intelligent satire.

7. Present information and raise issues without either overestimating the specialised knowledge of our listeners, or underestimating their intelligence.

8. Emphasise issues as well as action stories; avoid material tending to be purely superficial or sensational; and refrain from sensationalising or trivialising important issues.

9. Be critical of all sources of information, and take all reasonable steps to check the accuracy of information before broadcast.

10. Develop and maintain an independent agenda and priorities, irrespective of those evident in other media.

NOTE: Attention of news and current affairs programmers is drawn in particular to the Community Broadcasting Codes of Practice: Radio as registered by the Australian Communications and Media Authority and the MEAA Journalists’ Code of Ethics.

All policies approved in 2012 by the Board of Directors, Sydney Educational Broadcasting Ltd.

COMPLAINTS

2SER adheres to the Community Broadcasting complaints policy as registered by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).

1. We acknowledge the rights of our listeners, members and volunteers to make complaints in writing about alleged non-compliance with both the licence conditions in the Broadcasting Services Act and the requirements outlined in the Community Radio Codes of Practice.

2. We will make every reasonable effort to resolve complaints, except where a complaint is clearly frivolous, without sufficient grounds or not made in good faith.

3. We will ensure that:

(a) complaints will be received by a responsible person in normal office hours and receipt is acknowledged in writing,

(b) complaints will be conscientiously considered, investigated if necessary, and responded to substantively as soon as possible,

(c) complaints will be responded to in writing within 60 days of receipt, as required by the Act, and the response will include a copy of the Codes where applicable,

(d) complainants will be advised in writing that they have the right to refer their complaint about a Code matter to the ACMA, provided they have first:

(i) formally lodged their complaint with the licensee in writing, and

(ii) received a substantive response from the licensee and are dissatisfied with this response, or have not received a response from the licensee within 60 days after making the complaint.

A written complaint or response can be a letter, fax, or email and must include the word ‘complaint’ in the email subject line or at the top of the letter. It must be sent to one of the contact points (postal address, email, etc) indicated on this webpage.

4. A responsible person of the licensee will maintain a record of complaints and responses for at least two years from the date of the complaint.

5. The record of complaints and responses will be made available to ACMA on request.

PRIVACY

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