Frequently Asked Questions at 5EBI

Ethnic Radio Broadcasting Groups are members of Ethnic Broadcasters Inc (the not-for-profit organisation that owns Radio 5EBI 103.1fm). 

The Committees of each member Group are required to appoint two delegates to represent them at 5EBI’s General Meetings, particularly the Annual General Meetings. These delegates may also be nominated for positions on the Board of Ethnic Broadcasters Inc.

In terms of their operational activities, each Group must refer their new members and volunteers to 5EBI for the training before those individual participate in broadcasting activities. 

Radio 5EBI and any other Group broadcasting in the same language must first approve the new Group being established as a member of Ethnic Broadcasters Inc (the Station's parent body).

All new groups must be incorporated as a not-for-profit organisation in accordance with the requirements of the Associations Incorporations Act of South Australia - unless the radio Group is being formed by an already-existing not-for-profit incorporated body, active in the wider community, which is strongly associated with an ethnicity (such as a social club).

b) In either case, the Incorporated body will then need to form a Radio Committee.

c) That Radio Committee will need to elect or appoint office holders: A Chair, a Vice-Chair, a Treasurer, and a Secretary.

d) A Constitution will need to be drawn up (unless the Radio Committee is part of an existing incorporated body which has its own Constitution). 

e) That Radio Committee will meet with EBI Staff to sign up as an Ethnic Broadcasting Member Group of 5EBI. All individual volunteers are covered by that Membership entity.

f) Submission of the Group’s application to the EBI Executive for approval.

g) Negotiation and payment of annual membership and broadcast fees to 5EBI.

See also: What do Ethnic Radio Broadcasting Groups do?

To join an existing Ethnic Broadcasting Group you will need to apply to that group for membership. If this successful, you will be referred back to the Station Administration for initial training.

If that approval is denied, you may be able to broadcast in English. There's information about this elsewhere in our FAQ section.

If you don’t want or are unable to join an existing group there are other options. 

If the Group’s programming or identity doesn’t suit you, you could apply back to 5EBI to form your own incorporated Ethnic Group, with its own committee and office-bearers. However, if you are also intending to broadcast in a language already featured on our airwaves, as per our Station's Constitution this would require the approval of the existing Group.

For those wishing to get involved with operating our studio equipment or producing programmes, there are two main options. You could:

1. Join an existing Ethnic Broadcasting Group or Programme as an off-air volunteer. If accepted, 5EBI will arrange any necessary training to ensure that you have the necessary skills. Information on how to join one of our Broadcasting Groups is the topic of another question.
2. Apply to become a Continuity Producer. These volunteers are individual members of 5EBI itself, rather than of any Ethnic Broadcasting Group. They help keep the Station on-air by operating the studios for volunteer Presenters who do not have the technical knowledge to operate the equipment. The role of Continuity Producers is dealt with in more detail in another question.
3. Assist in the front office - answering phones, photocopying, etc

5EBI does broadcast some programmes with spoken English content (and also some with English-language music). As per our broadcasting licence, there is a limit to how much of that material we can air, but we can accommodate spoken English - in fact, even the Ethnic Group programmes have some spoken English, in accordance with ACMA codes.

You might wish to start and present an English-language programme which specialises in a particular genre of music, or focuses on the arts, sport, lifestyle or current affairs, for some examples. Check out our Programme Guide to get an idea of the English language content we currently air.

To further your involvement as a broadcaster you will need to become a 5EBI Individual Member, or join an existing 5EBI programme group. 

Or, you wish to join an existing EBI programme which already covers an area of interest to you - You would be signing into an entity which already belongs to 5EBI as an Individual Member. But before doing that, ring or email us for a chat. (Contact details on our front page.) 

If, as an English speaker, you have no interest in being an actual broadcaster but would still like to be involved in 5EBI in a voluntary technical or production role, you might consider becoming one of our Continuity Producers. 

If you are fluent in a language other than English and want to be an on-air presenter OR studio operator OR programme producer at 5EBI, we would first establish whether that your preferred is already heard in any of our programming.

You can also get an idea of whether your language is already on-air by looking at our Programme Guide.

If it is not, you can apply to 5EBI to form your own incorporated Ethnic Broadcasting Group, representing your language and culture, with its own committee and office-bearers. 5EBI is always interested in bringing new Ethnic Groups aboard! 

If it is, we would refer you to that Member programme or Incorporated Member Ethnic Group. You would then be able to apply to join that group and, if accepted, you would be participating with that Group’s support and supervision.

You would also have the opportunity to join the group’s committee, be nominated to become an office-bearer for the group, and perhaps become the Group's delegate at 5EBI’s Annual General Meetings (and also to nominate as an office-bearer of 5EBI’s own Executive Board). 

If, for whatever reason, you are not invited to join an existing Group after approaching them, you could:

1. try forming a new Ethnic Group which also broadcasts in that language.
2. possibly broadcast in English. Click here for more information.
3. perhaps broadcast in another language that you speak fluently. 

An average week sees us broadcast in more than 40 different languages, with content varying from local news updates; to culturally specific music; sport and more.

Continuity Producers (CPs) for 5EBIs programmes have an important technical role keeping the station's ongoing programmes running smoothly.

They ensure the continuity of 5EBI’s on-air sound and that programmes run seamlessly from one to the other. At any given time (outside of our automated night-time World Trax programming), a CP is at the helm of 5EBI’s broadcast.

CPs may also panel (drive the studio equipment) for volunteers who produce and present a programme but do not have the technical expertise or desire to operate the studio desk themselves.

These skilled and dedicated volunteers are responsible for the station’s on-air sound, and also act as Duty Managers after hours or when the Station Manager is unavailable.

Any new volunteers to 5EBI, including CPs, undergo some formal training once they come on board.

If you’re interested in learning more about becoming a CP, please get in touch by phone on (08) 8211 7635 or email to production@5ebi.com.au The more CPs we have on our roster, the happier we are. You'll be welcomed to the team!

YES

All new volunteers must undergo some training, which the Station will organise when either they get in touch direct with our Administration or if they are referred to us an on-air Group they have joined.

A one-session Orientation Course introduces all new members and volunteers to community radio and features a tour of the radio station.

A Course in Responsible Broadcasting covers what may be said on-air and what is not permitted, as well as conduct in our premises when off-air.

Once these basic requirements have been successfully completed, participants are eligible to start broadcasting with 5EBI as a Presenter.

Initially, our Community Producers (CPs) can operate the studio for new Presenters, so there is no need for immediate upfront technical training. We find this removes a lot of stress for our new broadcasters as they learn, gradually, on-the-job.

Further optional Training is available in Presentation, Studio Operation and Pre-Production. Fees are charged for these Courses. If you have previous radio experience, you may not need training in these areas.

Individual 5EBI Members are individual people; Programmes and/or Groups that are not an incorporated, Ethnic Broadcasting Group with its own Radio Committee and Office Holders.

Individual Member status can encompass a group of volunteers; or a single person. Ordinarily, it applies to a particular programme with only one time slot on-air, such as an Access Group.

Individual Members pay annual membership fees to 5EBI and for their broadcast airtime, much as Ethnic Broadcasting Groups do. Individual Members are bound by the same charter and rules in regard to conduct on- and off-air, as all other members.

However, Individual Members cannot attend 5EBI’s Annual General or Special General Meetings unless by invitation, they are unable to act as delegates or vote at such meetings and cannot be elected to the 5EBI Board.

Individual Member programmes are subject to 5EBI Board approval. Termination of an Individual Member programme does not require a vote by Delegates.

Once approved by the 5EBI Board and with payment of annual membership and broadcast fees to 5EBI dealt with, Individual Members must refer all new volunteers to 5EBI for the mandatory training.