Wally de Backer has put together a desperate open letter urging the Minister for Communications Stephen
Conroy to recognise the important role that community radio plays in the Australian music industry and rectify the $1.4 million
per annum shortfall in funding allocated to digital community radio in next week’s Federal Budget. The proposed funding cuts threaten the existence of dozens of community radio stations, something you can let Mr. Conroy know about by signing this petition. Read Gotye’s missive below…
Minister Conroy,
My name is Wally De Backer and I make music under the name Gotye.
Recently my music has enjoyed a great amount of success both locally
and internationally, garnering hundreds of millions of views on YouTube,
selling 10+ million records worldwide and receiving a number of awards
(my album Making Mirrors won a Grammy for Best Alternative Album and my
song Somebody That I Used To Know was awarded the Record of the Year
Grammy).
Australian community radio has been instrumental in my
recent international success. Without the support and encouragement of
community stations when I started self- releasing my music in 2001 I
would not have been able to develop my career. Larger capital city-based
stations like RRR and FBi were instrumental, but opportunities for
interviews, connection with fellow music lovers, and new musicians from
diverse backgrounds through smaller community stations like KCR in
Kalamunda, WA, or student radio station SYN FM in Melbourne supported me
for many years as I developed my music and started finding an
international audience.
Like millions of Australians I am also a
listener to community radio and I love it. We are fortunate to have one
of the most diverse and vibrant community radio landscapes in the
world, something that has become clearer to me since traveling the world
for the last two years and tuning in to radio in many countries. I
value very highly the opportunity to connect with communities and
cultures not regularly represented in mainstream Australian media
through this network of volunteer-based, not-for-profit organizations.
It has come to my attention that there is a shortfall of $1.4 million
per annum for the community radio sector?s transition to a digital
broadcasting future in the upcoming May budget, a shortfall that may
result in many community stations being switched off.
I urge you Minister, rectify this budget shortfall.
It will ensure that young musicians starting to develop a unique
sound and vision can find an audience and connect with a diverse
community of supporters before hopefully moving onto significant
endeavors on the world stage. It will ensure that millions of
Australians can discover cultures and communities that are rarely
represented in other media, promoting diversity and engagement between
people from many different backgrounds. It will be a commitment to a
vibrant, interesting and intelligent Australia.
Sincerely,
Wally De Backer
