Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) will get about $10 million in federal government funding under a grant for regional media players.
The broadcaster announced to the ASX that it was one of the media companies found eligible for the $50 million Public Interest News Gathering (PING) Program.
The grant was set up at the height of the coronavirus pandemic to support regional business after their advertising revenue was hit as a result of the economic fallout.
“Regional communities and businesses have been hit hard by COVID-19,” says SCA’s CEO and managing director Grant Blackley.
“As Australia’s largest regional media business, SCA is no exception. This funding will assist SCA‘s network of radio and television stations to keep 8.8 million Australians and their local communities in regional and remote Australia informed about news and events that matter most to them.”
The funding will be deployed across 12 months from July 1.
Australian Community Media also confirmed it was one of the companies given funding under the PING Program after announcing it would resume printing suspending newspapers.
SCA has 78 regional radio stations, as well as a network of regional television licences.
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