Petition "Federal Government: Fund SBS properly to stop mid-programme advertising!"

Hello!

I've started the petition "Federal Government: Fund SBS properly to stop mid-programme advertising!" and need your help to get it off the ground.
Will you take 30 seconds to sign it right now? Here's the link:
http://www.change.org/p/federal-government-fund-sbs-properly-to-stop-mid-programme-advertising
Here's why it's important:

SBS Television and advertisements
author: Mannie De Saxe
target: SBS Management in Australia and the Federal Government

SBS television was started in Australia some 30 years ago to assist the multicultural aspects of modern Australia's changing demographics. SBS was funded by the federal government but successive governments reduced their budget, so SBS began putting commercial advertising at the beginning and end of their programmes in order to raise revenue.
 When a new CEO was apponted some 12 years ago, he decided that if the advertisements were played in the middle of programmes, more revenue would be raised for the station. This ploy failed miserably, and as a consequence SBS lost viewers and the quality of its programmes deteriorated rapidly.
Now in 2015, SBS has a new management and this petition is to urge the new team to drop the advertisments in the middle of programmes. SBS used to have the best news bulletins of all tv stations in Australia, and, because of the advertisements, it has lost continuity and quality - and some of its best newsreaders!
 We are hoping to get enough signatures on this petition to induce SBS management to reconsider, and restore the service to its former glory!
 Late in 2012 SBS started a new channel specifically for Indigenous programmes. These too are interrupted in the middle of interesting programmes by commercials. These need to be stopped now in order to make SBS what it was originally - the world's first - and best - multicultural broadcaster.
It now seems that because the Federal government is determined to ruin SBS and the ABC, the government wants to join them together and reduce accommodation and staffing.
Margaret Pomeranz and Quentin Dempster, together with GetUp, have also started a petition, so there will now be at least two petitions for everyone to sign - Urgently!!

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Here's something you may not already know about: the government is proposing major changes to SBS' advertising arrangement – which, if passed, would see primetime broadcasting interrupted with more ads, more frequently, than ever seen in Australia's public broadcasting history.

Read on for a message from former SBS & ABC TV presenter Margaret Pomeranz, and public broadcasting advocate and journalist Quentin Dempster, on what you can do to stop this proposal in its tracks – and click here to sign the petition: www.getup.org.au/saveoursbs

~ A message from Margaret and Quentin ~

Mannie,

Want to stop the further commercialisation of our already under fire public broadcasters?

When Parliament re-commences next month, MPs and Senators will face a proposal on whether to allow the doubling of ads and commercial breaks on SBS, a move that will have a significant negative impact on our public broadcaster and its devoted viewers.

If the government's proposed amendments to the SBS Act are passed, SBS will look no different from the commercial networks. It will effectively be turned into Australia's fourth fully commercial TV channel, by stealth.

We will be doing everything we can to get the word out about the threat that these amendments pose to public broadcasting – but we need your help to demonstrate we have the support of the Australian public. The more signatures we can collect, the more seriously MPs and Senators will take us.

Now is the moment that Australians need to stand up to fight for sustainable, multicultural public broadcasting, and stand up for our SBS. Sign our petition urging the Federal Parliament to reject amendments to extend advertising on SBS: www.getup.org.au/saveoursbs

Our SBS is unique. It emerged in 1978 as an initiative of the Fraser Government, because of the shortage of services for the growing population of newly arrived Australians who didn't speak English.

In 2015, SBS' reason for being is more relevant than ever. Australia is one of the world's most multicultural countries, with an increasingly culturally diverse population. Thirty-three per cent of Australians weren't born here, nor were their parents. In a time when the risk of segregation and polarisation are greater than ever, our SBS can break down xenophobia, racism and bigotry through intelligent, engaging journalism, informed conversation, satire, documentary, movies and entertainment programming.

But if proposed amendments to the SBS Act pass, the SBS will be brought back to a shadow of its former self. It will be severely hindered in its ability to comply with its very own Charter, and provide quality content for Australians from diverse backgrounds.

Audiences love SBS, but love it less with commercial breaks continually disrupting programs. Together, let's remind our Parliament that we want our public broadcasters to treat us as audiences and as citizens in a robust democracy, not as consumers to be delivered up to advertisers.

Will you sign this petition, urging Parliament to protect SBS and reject these amendments? www.getup.org.au/saveoursbs

This isn't just about SBS. Australian commercial media networks rely upon advertising revenue to underwrite its financial viability – and they don't need a taxpayer-subsidised SBS competing for precious ad revenue. Public broadcasters weren't designed to be run on a commercial media business plan.

Here's what we need to tell our politicians: we want a strong and creative private media sector in Australia, complemented by robust public broadcasters with their independent Charter roles. It's this that has helped to make Australia a great and peace-loving country. Please join us and the Save Our SBS our campaign to fight for a non-commercial future for Australia's great multi-cultural broadcaster: www.getup.org.au/saveoursbs

With every good wish,

Margaret Pomeranz & Quentin Dempster

PS - We believe a public broadcaster that reaches Australia's diverse communities through multi-lingual radio, online services and television programming is crucial to a sense of inclusion. SBS is an investment in our communities – let's show politicians that we won't stand for cuts by stealth: www.getup.org.au/saveoursbs

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GetUp is an independent, not-for-profit community campaigning group. We use new technology to empower Australians to have their say on important national issues. We receive no political party or government funding, and every campaign we run is entirely supported by voluntary donations. If you'd like to contribute to help fund GetUp's work, please donate now! To unsubscribe from GetUp, please click here. Our team acknowledges that we meet and work on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We wish to pay respect to their Elders - past, present and future - and acknowledge the important role all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people continue to play within Australia and the GetUp community.
Authorised by Sam Mclean, Level 2, 104 Commonwealth Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010.

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Please get every one you know to sign the petitions so that there will be hundreds and thousands of signatures to the Federal Government and SBS!

You can sign my petition by clicking here.
Thanks!
Mannie De Saxe

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