Renew or transfer a community broadcasting licence

We’re currently streamlining our community broadcasting licence renewal form – the B66 form – to simplify it and make it easier for you to use.

The updated form should be available in October 2021. If you have not submitted a B66 renewal form to us, please wait until the new form is available. Licensees who have already submitted the existing form will not be affected by this change.

We’ll update this page to let you know about progress and dates.

We expect this process should not inconvenience any licensees as applications for licence renewals need to be submitted between 52 and 26 weeks before the licence expiry date.

If you have any questions about your renewal, please email us at communitybroadcasting@acma.gov.au.

A licence holder must represent the community interest.

When you renew a community radio licence, we look at how you are meeting the interests of that community. You may apply to change the community interest you represent at licence renewal.

You need to give us details of:

• how the service will meet the new needs of the community in the licence area
• any research or evidence that shows how the community has changed, or will change, over time
• how you will represent the community interest that has changed
• letters or evidence that show your members and the community support the change.

Add this to section 2 of form B66 – Application for renewal of a community radio broadcasting licence (in the broadcasting services bands)

You must lodge requests for change of community interest more than 26 weeks before the expiry date of the licence to allow time for community consultation.

Except in special circumstances, we will not consider requests for change of community interest made within 26 weeks of the expiry date of the licence. 

Decision making

When deciding whether to approve a request for a change of community interest we will consider:

• the extent to which the proposed service would meet the existing and perceived future needs of the community within the licence area
• the nature and diversity of the interests of that community
• the nature and diversity of other broadcasting services (including national broadcasting services) available within the licence area
• the capacity of the applicant to provide the proposed service.

Some of the reasons you may want or need to transfer a licence include:

• You want to merge with another company or council and will lose your original legal status.
• Your legal entity changes, for example from a cooperative to an incorporated association.
• You do not have the money to continue broadcasting and want to hand over the licence to someone else.
• You may have to stop broadcasting, for example because you expect to be deregistered.

We will only approve it if the company you want us to transfer the licence to:

• would be eligible for a licence in the first place
• represents a community interest.

Apply to transfer your licence

Complete the relevant form:

• Application to transfer community broadcasting licence
• Application to transfer a community broadcasting licence by a remote Indigenous community service

After the transfer is complete

If we approve the transfer, the new licence holder must tell us once the transfer takes place. You have 90 days to transfer the licence.

Complete the Notification of transfer of a community broadcasting licence.

The Broadcasting Services Act 1992 gives us the authority to renew and transfer licences.

Transfer applications that are not approved

If we do not approve a transfer application, you may apply to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal for a review of the decision.

In either case, we may issue a media release announcing our decision.