Broadcasting in the bush made easier thanks to ABA

The vital role the Top End Aboriginal Bush Broadcasting Association (TEABBA) plays in remote communities has been recognised with an Aboriginals Benefit Account (ABA) grant for a new multi-purpose vehicle that will get TEABBA out to even the most remote communities.

TEABBA provides operational support for 29 remote Indigenous broadcasting units in Aboriginal communities across the Top End of Australia. In many of these communities the local radio station, known as Remote Indigenous Broadcasting Services (RIBS), is the main source of news and important information for locals.

The Remote Mobile Multi-Media Unit, dubbed “Ms Jedda” in recognition of TEABBA Chairperson, Ms Jedda Puruntatimeri, has arrived and already put to good use. “Ms Jedda” provided a live broadcast for the Cyclone Recovery Football Carnival in Yirrkala in northern Arnhem Land and covered the National Remote Indigenous Media Festival, also in Yirrkala.

TEABBA has a lot planned for “Ms Jedda”, including participating in career expos, outside broadcasts at music and cultural festivals and as a media training centre in remote communities.

ABA was established under the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976 and receives payments equivalent to the value of royalties generated from mining interests on Aboriginal land in the Northern Territory. The ABA Advisory Committee, comprising representatives from Aboriginal communities around the Northern Territory, and the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, recognised the importance of TEABBA and its plan for “Ms Jedda” when supporting TEABBAs grant application for funding.

So, if you’re in the Northern Territory, keep an eye out for “Ms Jedda” as it travels around remote communities, keeping locals in touch with the rest of the world.