Times News Group receives PING grant

FUNDS have started to flow to regional news outlets across the country as part of the Morrison Government’s $50 million Public Interest News Gathering (PING) program, providing much-needed support to regional television, newspaper and radio outlets during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Times News Group – publisher of the Surf Coast Times, Bellarine Times and Armstrong Creek Times – was among the 107 outlets to successfully apply.
Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts Paul Fletcher and Victorian Senator Sarah Henderson announced the funding last month, and said it would enable news outlets in regional Victoria to continue serving their community by providing reliable news and information.
“I welcome the news that these local outlets will receive funds under this important program, which will help keep local jobs and make sure quality public interest journalism continues to be available in our region,” Senator Henderson said.
“Public interest journalism keeps our communities informed and connected, and it is especially important for people living in regional and remote areas.”
Mr Fletcher said funding under the program would see $20 million for television, $12 million for radio and $18 million for publishing across regional Australia, with most publishers receiving grants operating as small- to medium-sized businesses.
“This funding will support a broad range of activities such as staff wages, training and technology upgrades to allow the successful recipients to keep delivering important news services to their communities.”
Applications were considered through a demand-driven process, meaning that organisations who satisfied the eligibility criteria, including the production and distribution of public interest journalism in regional Australia, were eligible for funding.