Renewing or transferring a community broadcasting licence

The Broadcasting Services Act 1992 requires that applications to renew a community radio broadcasting licence must be made between 6 and 12 months before the licence is due to expire.

We will send you a letter 14 months before your licence is due to expire, reminding you to submit a licence renewal application.

From January 2026, this reminder letter will include instructions to fill in either:

• a B66a licence renewal application form for a streamlined assessment
• a B66b licence renewal application form for a detailed assessment. 

The correct application form will be included in the reminder letter.

Most licensees will need to complete the B66a application, with some being selected to complete the B66b form. The selection of licensees to complete the B66b form is at the ACMA’s discretion and may consider, for example, a licensee’s compliance history.

In either case, we may request additional information or supporting documentation.  

For licensees who complete the B66a application form, we will assess only essential information, such as:

• the licensee’s registration status
• confirmation that the service will continue to operate under with the relevant technical specifications.

For licensees who complete the B66b application form, we will assess:

• the extent to which the service meets the community’s current and future needs
• the nature and diversity of interests in the community
• the extent to which the service provides material that is significant to the local community
• other broadcasting services in the same licence area, including national services
• whether the applicant is able to provide the proposed service.

We also consider whether this licence would lead to a situation we don’t want such as:

• one person in control of more than one community broadcasting service in the same licence area
• the Commonwealth, a state or territory or a political party in control of a community broadcasting licence.

In assessing your application, we may identify areas for improvement. If we approve the application, we’ll let you know about these by assigning you actions to complete.

More information

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

A licence holder must represent the community interest.

You may apply to change the community interest you represent at licence renewal.

If you wish to change your community interest, indicate this in the relevant section of the application form. You will 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 community interests have 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.

You must lodge requests for change of community interest at least 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. 

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, after considering other relevant matters, the company you want us to transfer the licence to:

• meets the eligibility requirements for a licence
• represents a community interest.

Applying 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.

In assessing the application, we may identify areas for improvement. If we approve the application, we’ll let the new licence holder know about these by assigning them actions to complete.

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 Review Tribunal for a review of the decision.

The ACMA may issue a media release announcing our decision.