Services in Malay, Oromo and Tetum will also be launched in September.
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SBS’s radio schedule update gives audiences more ways to listen
Across seven radio channels, SBS announces an improved radio schedule offering all Australians more ways to listen live and more catch-up across content in 60+ languages.
SBS, Australia’s multicultural and First Nations national broadcaster and 2022 Podcaster of the Year, has today announced an updated and improved radio schedule to better meet the changing consumption preferences of Australian audiences across its linear and digital audio platforms.
From Thursday 5 October audiences will have more choice about when and how to listen to content in over 60 languages. Audiences will benefit from more live radio in the daytime and more ways to catch-up on demand in the evening with news, entertainment, music and podcasts.
“Radio remains at the heart of what SBS does, from our humble beginnings as two ethnic radio stations in 1975 to this expanded schedule giving contemporary audiences of all backgrounds and ages even more ways to listen and connect with the content they love,” said David Hua, SBS Director of Audio and Language Content.
“As SBS looks ahead to its 50th anniversary, our diverse listeners will enjoy more live radio in the daytime as well as their favourite audio on demand especially during drive time. This is being driven by our ongoing focus on accelerating digital-first production across our full offering of radio, live streaming, digital publishing and podcasting.”
By better utilising its full spectrum of seven radio channels – SBS Radio 1, SBS Radio 2, SBS Radio 3, SBS PopDesi, SBS Arabic 24, SBS PopAsia, and SBS Chill – the multicultural and First Nations broadcaster will maintain current timeslots for daily programs representing some of Australia’s largest language communities.
Some language programs will move to new timeslots optimised for increased engagement and accessibility, including on SBS Radio 3 alongside a BBC World Service English line-up and on SBS PopDesi which will be rebranded into a destination channel for South Asian communities. To minimise disruption to existing listeners, full catch-up (repeat) programs will air on existing evening and weekend timeslots.
“We are committed to being a trusted voice for multicultural Australia and giving contemporary audiences more choice and flexibility across our linear and digital radio services,” said Mr Hua.
“These schedule changes are part of our ongoing efforts to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to engage with our multilingual content, to build stronger connections with their community, and to feel even more a part of broader Australian society.”
Additional benefits include a new national delay across time zones, enabling programs to run at a consistent time for listeners anywhere across Australia.
A summary of schedule changes is available here
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Understandable but a bit of a shame to lose the 24/7 BBC WS feed on DAB+ and TV.
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SBS Radio 3 will now be used for additional language services during the day, therefore not just the BBC.
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I’ll have a take another look post October 5th.
Re this webpage
Several of the FM radio services eg Brisbane 93.3
are actually carrying the ‘SBS Radio’ service, which is a different service to either the SBS Radio 1 or 2 services in case anyone was confused…?
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This has always been confusing due to a lack of program guides in the past. Was explained years ago the FM service was a composite of SBS Radio 1 & 2. Is that still the case?
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From what I’ve heard from Hobart & Brisbane FM frequencies & comparing with SBS Radio, 1 & 2 (the 3 services) web schedule recently I’d say yes.
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That’s always been the case on radio - only certain cities ever had separate Radio 1 and 2 services; the others had a combined service. TV/DAB+ of course have all the separate services. The table in the announcement refers to the single service as the “NRN” (national radio network) but like “radio 1” and “radio 2” that’s never really said out loud.
Incidentally, that “how do I listen” says Newcastle is one of those stations with two (outside of SYD/MEL/CBR), they actually mean Wollongong, as the frequency list makes clear [1485 is Radio 1, 1035 is Radio 2 - curiously they don’t have separate callsigns, they are both “2EA” officially].
The program guide for radio is combined with their TV one - by selecting (say) Brisbane on there you can see “SBS Radio” as (currently) picking from Radio 1 and 2 - usually “as ‘live’” from either but not always.
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Yet SBS Radio (the composite feed) isn’t available to stream
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I think SBS should make localised composite signals based on the population being serviced.
Plenty of regional centres have fairly unique mixes of migrant communities, or indeed more content from NITV Radio in many remote locations.
SBS probably should also at their SBS Radio on DAB where they have such a composite service, perhaps just as “SBS FM” or similar as appropriate.
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Given the structure of SBS’ audio side, they’d easily say “why do you need it when you have both Radio 1 and 2 available” (and other services now they’ll be using Radio 3 and PopDesi for more live content too, not to mention Arabic24 which I always forget about)
ie. if you’re primarily listening through streaming already, why would people who’d want the language services be worried that they are missing an inferior service to what Sydney and Melbourne get?
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I mean, Radio 6 (as the World Service simulcast and “extra” channel) actually did exist at one point, but only in the very early days of DAB+ when SBS ran extra “+2 hour” timeshifted versions of Radio 1 and 2… of course was more recently crumpled into Radio 4 and then Radio 3 branding.
I can’t imagine that’s any more than an anomaly though; the backlash against losing full-time World Service wouldn’t have been THAT big to consider reinstating it.
also realising after the fact that this may be a iPod-dock hotel bedside radio that likely hasn’t been updated since 2009… wouldn’t be surprised by that at all 
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From the upfronts
SBS Audio announces new destination channel for Australia’s South Asian community
SBS Audio demands different with Australia’s most distinctive podcast line-up
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Still think they should do a radio for media spy 
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Especially as we like their numerical branding for stations.
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SBS Chill is doing another Chillest 100 this coming New Year’s Day.
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SBS spoke to its Italian Executive Producer, Magica Fossati and SBS Amharic Executive Producer Kassahun Negewo, who bring almost 50 years of radio experience between them, about how their work is making a difference for Australia’s multicultural communities.
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