SBS Radio has begun broadcasting to the Cairns region through facilities provided by Cairns Community Radio. A multicultural friendship morning tea is scheduled for Tuesday, 12 February at the Germania Club to help celebrate the occasion.

Paula Masselos, Director of SBS Radio says, "SBS Radio is proud to welcome Cairns, the Atherton Tableland and parts of Cape Tribulation to its national network, which comprises 47 locations across Australia. I am aware of the very rich diversity in Far North Queensland and the significant contribution that our migrants and their children have made to this part of Australia. During this inaugural transmission week, SBS Radio programs will be paying tribute to our newest members of the SBS Radio family."

She adds, "SBS Radio is unlike any broadcaster in the world - it communicates and educates, entertains and informs. It provides settlement information to new arrivals and helps communities to be better informed and to appreciate the cultural diversity of Australia."

A community initiative that started in 2000, the SBS project has received immense support and was encouraged through a petition signed by hundreds of community members advocating for the service; and was also supported through the Cairns City Council Local Area Multicultural Partnership.

The Council will contribute $10,000 a year for two years towards the maintenance costs of the transmission site. However, community support is needed to assist in future fundraising efforts to keep the service going.

SBS is Australia's national multilingual radio network, broadcasting across the continent in 68 languages, more than any other broadcaster in the world. The Cairns region alone is home to over 70 different language and dialect groups who will benefit greatly from this service. Over 18% of the population were born overseas, with the 2006 census revealing that the most commonly spoken languages in the Cairns region were Japanese, Italian, German, Torres Strait Creole and Hmong, as well as a myriad of other Oceania and Islander dialects and languages.

Cairns now has round-the-clock broadcast in sixty-five different languages that will cover service from the Tablelands, Cairns and some areas in Cape Tribulation.

The national SBS broadcast can be found at 90.5 FM.

More than 650 hours of programming each week deliver programs containing international and homeland news, a mixture of current affairs, interviews, community information, sport and music, to people who speak languages other than English. Programs such as the current affairs based World View and the Alchemy youth and music programs in English serve the wider community of English speakers. The program guide can be found at www.sbs.com.au

SBS Radio is Australia's national multilingual and multicultural radio network broadcasting to all state and territory capitals in 68 languages. The most linguistically diverse media entity in the world, SBS Radio broadcasts more than 15,000 hours of individually-made programs each year to every major city in Australia over a five-signal integrated network. SBS Radio serves all Australians, especially the more than 3.1 million people who speak a language other than English at home.

Sophia Spinelli
Communications Manager, Radio SBS