SBS Invites Public To Shape Future Of Language Services

SBS has opened public consultation on the draft Selection Criteria for the SBS Language Services Review 2026/27, inviting people nationwide to help shape the future of its language services. Feedback is being accepted until Friday 13 November 2026.

Conducted every five years to align with the national Census, the Review ensures SBS’s services continue to reflect Australia’s fast‑evolving and increasingly diverse communities. It provides audiences, community groups and organisations with a chance to share their views.

The draft Selection Criteria outline how SBS proposes to assess community needs when deciding which languages to serve, prioritising large and high‑needs language groups and communities with particular social cohesion considerations. Factors include community size, English‑language proficiency, recentness of arrival in Australia, experiences of racial discrimination and humanitarian needs.

The Review will also consider how content is scheduled and delivered across radio, podcasting, digital TV and online platforms, reflecting shifts in audience behaviour.

SBS Acting Director of Audio and Language Content, Pamela Cook, said the five‑yearly review is crucial to ensuring SBS’s services remain meaningful and accessible for multilingual Australians.

"For more than 50 years, SBS has delivered trusted multilingual media services for communities across Australia. Through locally produced news, information and original storytelling in more than 60 languages, we help people understand the issues shaping their lives, connect with their communities and participate fully in Australian life. This content reflects the experiences, needs and perspectives of Australia’s diverse communities.

"As Australia's population continues to change, we need to regularly review and evolve our language offering to ensure our services remain relevant and responsive to community needs. This includes balancing the needs of large and established language communities with those of emerging and high-needs communities.

"Community feedback is an important part of the SBS Language Services Review. We encourage people across Australia to review the draft Selection Criteria and share their views on how SBS should assess the nation’s multilingual media needs into the future."

SBS currently produces original, locally relevant audio content in more than 60 languages. The final Selection Criteria will be published in May 2027, ahead of the release of 2026 Australian Census data, and will then be applied alongside other considerations. Revised SBS language services are set to begin from December 2027.

Public consultation runs from Monday 5 October to Friday 13 November 2026.

sbs.com.au