Southern Cross Media Group (SCA) has been found eligible for funding of approximately $10 million under the Commonwealth Government’s Public Interest News Gathering (PING) Program.

The grant to eligible regional media businesses will be deployed across the 12 month period from 1 July 2020.

SCA is eligible under both the regional radio stream through its 78 regional radio stations, and under the regional television stream through its network of regional television licenses, both of which provide local content to communities right around Australia.

The outcome of applications under the PING Program - which will support commercial television, radio and newspaper businesses in regional Australia during COVID-19 - was announced this morning by the Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts, the Hon Paul Fletcher MP. A copy of the Minister’s announcement is attached.

SCA’s CEO and Managing Director, Grant Blackley, welcomed the announcement:

“Regional communities and businesses have been hit hard by COVID-19. As Australia’s largest regional media business, SCA is no exception. This funding will assist SCA‘s network of radio and television stations continue to keep 8.8m Australians and their local communities in regional and remote Australia informed about news and events that matter most to them.”