Special Broadcasting Service (SBS)

Location
SBS has offices in Sydney and Melbourne
Politics
Supposed to be neutral. Most journalists could be accused of left-leaning tendencies, though forced remain ‘impartial’, and the multicultural nature of its charter leads to a humanist orientation in the nature of much of its programming.

Money Matters

SBS, which calls itself “voice and vision of multicultural Australia,” is 80 percent state-funded, with the remainder coming from commercial activities. It received base funding of AU$568.7 million (US$409.6 million) over three years from 2013-2014. However, in 2014, the Abbott government cut SBS funding by AU$53.7 million (US$38.7 million) over five years. The broadcaster has lobbied to up its advertising limit from 5 to 10 minutes an hour in a bid to make up the financial shortfall, but the proposal was narrowly defeated in the Senate in June, which left SBS with a AU$28.5 million hole in its budget over the next four years.

Essentials

SBS is free-to-air multi-platform national broadcaster (TV, radio & online) which describes itself as a "rare beast" which is "inclusive, courageous, interested in individuals, and trusted by Australians". It claims to broadcast in more languages than any other broadcaster in the world — 74 languages on radio, more than 60 on television, and more than 50 online. SBS operates four TV channels (SBS ONE, SBS TWO, NITV and World Movies) and five radio networks (SBS Radio One, TWO & Three, SBS Chill and SBS PopAsia).

Key People

Nihal
Gupta

Appointed chairman of SBS in October 2014 for a five-year term, Australian-Indian businessman Nihal Gupta took over amid foreshadowed cuts to the broadcaster’s budget. The government cited his "extensive experience and qualifications" at the financial and business sectors, his holding numerous community board positions and "background in international business management throughout Australia and the Asia Pacific region."

However, after the appointment questions arose about Nihal Gupta’s work history and whether reference checks were done into his background. Some voiced doubts that he had enough experience to work as SBS chairman. Others also mentioned his fundraising and links with the Liberal Party. Many pointed out that he’s a friend of the former Liberal NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell.



In March 2015, the Labor Party called for Gupta to be sacked for declining to say whether he had misled the government about his corporate experience in order to get the chairmanship. It came after Gupta refused to answer at a Senate Estimates hearing over whether or not he had provided information that his company Digital Electronics Corporation Australia had 200 employees, while subsequent reports in the Australian revealed he was actually the sole consultant.



Gupta responded to the Senate Estimates that he did not believe he should have to "substantiate [his] appointment." He also denied reports that he had tried to oust SBS Managing Director Michael Ebeid at an extraordinary board meeting.

Despite the controversy, Gupta remains chairman of SBS.

 

Mark
Davis

The investigative journalist once called ‘The last of punchy current affairs’ is known for his work on SBS’ Dateline program, where he is currently a co-presenter and video journalist. Prior to commencing at SBS, he was an investigative journalist with ABC’s ‘Foreign Correspondent’ and ‘Four Corners’ program. Davis has won a Logie and five Walkley Awards, including the Gold Walkley for ’Blood Money,’ a Dateline report in 2000 on the funding of pro-Indonesian militias in East Timor. Davis also reported on the trial of Australian Guantanamo Bay detainee David Hicks. Davis is also known for gaining unprecedented access to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

He secured the first interviews from inside Bali’s Kerobakan Prison with two of the Bali Nine — a group of Australians convicted for smuggling 8.3kg (18lb) of heroin from Indonesia to Australia. The duo were later executed by a firing squad. Davis gained some notoriety for his profile of Dutch anti-Islam MP Geert Wilders. In 2013, Davis reported on the secretive Australian-run Manus Island refugee detention center in Papua New Guinea, in reports titled ‘Manus Whistleblower’ and ‘Manus Insider.’

 

Jenny
Brockie

One of Australia’s most respected journalists and a presenter of the SBS program ‘Insight’ since 2001, Brockie has more than 20 years of broadcasting experience. Her current role as host of Insight is to facilitate the show, which serves as a "discussion forum focusing on a single issue with the participation of a studio audience." She is in fact one of the most sought-after forum facilitators in Australia.

Brockie began her career with Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) TV and radio news. She presented the morning radio show on 702 ABC Sydney, as well as her own interview series ’Speaking Personally’ for ABC TV. She also reported both nationally and internationally for the ABC current affairs programs ’Four Corners’ and ’Nationwide.’ She has won various awards for her television documentaries, including a 1992 Gold Walkley for the feature-length documentary ‘Cop It Sweet’ about police culture in the Sydney suburb of Redfern, which has a large indigenous population.

Controversies

‘Zaky Mallah to receive own show’ report

An August 2015 article in the Weekend Australian reported that SBS was intending to give former terror suspect Zaky Mallah his own show, and that filming would begin soon. "There is a proposal floating around but no filming confirmed yet... and yes I am aware they are throwing around a few ideas," the paper quoted SBS managing director Michael Ebeid as saying. The report caused some stir. However, Ebeid released a statement on the SBS website stating that the report was "completely incorrect." He called the article "complete rubbish" on Twitter. Fellow Australian broadcaster ABC came under fire earlier this year, for giving Mallah a platform on one of its programs.



‘Struggle Street’ documentary

In May 2015, an observational documentary called ’Struggle Street’ outraged members of the Mount Druitt community in western Sydney, who said the series mocked and degraded residents. The documentary focused on the lives of 10 people over six months. After the promo began airing on national TV, Blacktown Mayor Stephen Bali called the program "publicly-funded poverty porn." Blacktown Council launched a petition online stating that some of the participants were never provided copies of the release forms they signed. Bali called for the program to be immediately suspended and contacted then-Communications Minister (now Prime Minister) Malcolm Turnbull asking him to intervene. The promo was eventually pulled in what SBS managing director Michael Ebeid called a "gesture of goodwill." A protest was launched against SBS’s Sydney office, with garbage trucks blockading the premises.



Reporter fired over Anzac tweets

In April 2015, SBS soccer reporter Scott McIntyre was fired after taking to Twitter to criticize Australian soldiers and those celebrating the centenary of Anzac Day (a day of remembrance for those who served in wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations), calling them "poorly-read, largely white, nationalist drinkers and gamblers."


In addition to McIntyre’s 30,000 followers, the tweets attracted the attention of MD Ebeid, who called the remarks inappropriate and disrespectful, saying they breached the network’s code of conduct and social media policy. The comments also sparked fury from Australian leaders, including Malcolm Turnbull, who labeled the comments "despicable."

Some, including journalist Hugh Riminton, criticized SBS for the move, stressing that Australian soldiers also died for free speech. That thought was echoed by the Sydney Morning Herald columnist Karl Quinn, who said that "anyone who gives a damn about the values that our soldiers allegedly died, and continue to die, for should be outraged that [McIntyre] was sacked for daring to express them."



 

McIntyre filed a lawsuit against SBS following the sacking, with his lawyers claiming the broadcaster breached its code of conduct by firing him, and did not follow due process when it fired him less than 24 hours after the tweets were published. The attorneys also argue that McIntyre merely expressed a political opinion, which is allowed under Section 351 of the Fair Work Act.

’Biased against traditional marriage’

In May 2015, the SBS was accused by Senator Matthew Canavan of being against traditional marriage, because it did not air a paid advertisement for traditional marriage during its coverage of Sydney’s Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade. "SBS has fallen down in not airing this ad and has left people questioning the independence of SBS on the issue," Canavan said. The senator addressed Ebeid and Chief Content Officer Helen Kellie during Senate Estimates hearings in Canberra, saying that SBS is a "public broadcaster using public money and clearly favor one side of the argument over the other." He added that the "self-censorship" was "worrying."

Herald Sun columnist Andrew Bolt lashed out at SBS for choosing to air an advertisement for adultery website Ashley Madison, but refusing to air the traditional marriage commercial, and pointed out the irony that such a classless advertisement was aired by a broadcaster that got AU$287 million (US$208 million) a year to "make [Australia] more civilized." He also noted that the traditional marriage ad ran without a problem on channels 7 and 9.

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