The CBAA and RPH Australia (RPHA) have extended their agreement to work collaboratively until at least 30 June 2024 to benefit the Radio Reading Network and Vision Australia Radio Network. Under the agreement extension, CBAA and RPHA will continue to be co-managed by, CBAA CEO, Jon Bisset, but will remain governed by two separate boards of directors in order to preserve the uniqueness of the Network’s programs and services.
The organisations also announced the appointment of Matt Field as Project Director to explore key opportunities to grow the radio reading network and to help grow media opportunities for people with a disability. Mr Field is CEO of Attitude Foundation, an organisation that explores how people with disabilities are portrayed in the media and works to ensure more people with disabilities are realistically included across all forms of media. He will also continue as CEO with Attitude Foundation.
Jon Bisset says, “Organisations like RPH Australia are vital because they serve the specific, and expanding, community of people who are dealing with a print disability. By centralising some of the key administration functions, RPHA can keep its operations streamlined and run more efficiently without duplication. We welcome Matt Field as he helps us explore ways to take Radio Reading Network services to the next level and help better support over four million Australians with disabilities as well as their parents, carers, and support communities.”
Chair of RPHA, Scott Black, says, “Because our organisations’ missions are so closely aligned and there is significant overlap in membership, it makes sense for RPHA and CBAA to continue our journey together. If we at RPH Australia want to remain a strong and resilient organisation, we will need size potency and the resources only larger organisations can afford. By continuing to work together, we can build on and take advantage of the synergies between our two organisations through sharing links, contracts, knowledge, and skills between CBAA and the Radio Reading Network.”
RPHA represents 18 AM/FM radio stations as well as 10 DAB+ digital radio services across Australia’s capital cities that produce radio reading programs for people with a disability. These services are powered by over 1,500 volunteers who read popular publications, making them accessible for people with a disability. Together the stations broadcast over 1,750 hours of specialist programs each week to 160,000 on average listeners each weekday and over 950,000 listeners each month.
Trained volunteers and staff prepare and read from a broad range of national, state and local newspapers and other high-turnover print materials, including magazines. They also serialise books for broadcast. The Network broadcasts important information segments including government information, assisting Australians with a print disability, including those with learning, physical, vision and literacy impairments, to participate fully in Australian social, political and economic life. For further information and to read some FAQs about the management agreement, click here.
This article was written by Alex Crerar and was originally published on the CBAA website.
