SBS Commissioning Equity & Inclusion Guidelines

What are the Equity & Inclusion Guidelines?

SBS is committed to ensuring all Australians see themselves, their communities and their stories reflected on screen, and that we are leading the way to a more inclusive future for our industry.

The SBS Charter and our unique purpose are the driving force behind our content, underpinning our legacy of showcasing diversity, telling stories otherwise untold and ensuring diverse voices are heard, in a different way to other media organisations.

The SBS Commissioning Equity & Inclusion Guidelines reflect SBS’s unique place in the media landscape as Australia’s multicultural and Indigenous broadcaster. They also recognise our role in championing ongoing industry change to be more representative and inclusive of our audiences, which also makes for entertaining, compelling and inspiring storytelling that connects with all Australians.

What are the Equity & Inclusion targets?

The Guidelines outline genre-specific targets for on- and off-screen roles for SBS-commissioned content and internal productions, designed to remove barriers and ensure that everyone in the sector can participate, with equal opportunity to succeed.

They reflect our goals for representation of people who identify as culturally and linguistically diverse, First Nations, people with disability, LGBTIQ+ and women - in front of and behind the camera - across a three-year period (from July 2021 to June 2024). They also outline our commitment to accountability through new reporting on our progress as an organisation against our targets each year.

From casting on-screen talent to hiring off-screen crew, SBS works flexibly and collaboratively with each of our production partners to support them in contributing to our goals across our commissioned content slate. SBS is here to provide practical assistance, including funding, training and connections to creative talent from our many career pathway initiatives.