Before SBS Australia had limited representation of Indigenous Australians regularly on television, and in news and current affairs it was primarily told by white fellas.

Living Black looks back on 5 decades of the broadcaster with the special Redefining Australia: 50 Years of SBS.

In this hour-long special episode, prominent storytellers, together with former and current SBS and NITV staff, look at the role the network has played in amplifying First Nations voices.

“It gives a lot of detail to the history of SBS and how it was formed and the great contribution that it’s made in elevating and amplifying Indigenous stories,” says host Karla Grant.

“The first Indigenous current affairs programme that was ever screened on Australia television was First in Line. That was back in 1989, somewhere around that time. It was hosted by Rhoda Roberts and Michael Johnson.”

Originally scheduled for 13 episodes it ran for 27 episodes over two seasons plus 5 documentary specials.

ICAM followed in 1995 until 2002.

“I ended up being not only a reporter on it, but series producer, and then in the end, I presented the programme for the last couple of series,” she continues.

“Then I created the concept of Living Black in 2002.

“But SBS has backed so many commissions and Indigenous series, like First Australians, First Contact … there’s been so many other major series and content around Indigenous stories,

“They were showing our stories through a black lens because, previously, our stories were not being told by us. They were being told by non-Indigenous Australians.”

Featuring in the special are:

Ray Martin AM (Journalist & Presenter)
Frances Rings (Bangarra Dance Theatre, Artistic Director)
Sean Choolburra (Comedian & Actor)
Pat Turner (CEO NACCHO – National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation)
Catherine Liddle (CEO SNAICC – National Voice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children)
Nakari Thorpe (ABC, News Presenter)
James Taylor (Outgoing SBS Managing Director)
Tanya Denning Orman (SBS, Director First Nations)
Natalie Ahmat (NITV, Head of Indigenous News & Current Affairs)

“Tanya Denning Orman actually started in television on Living Black back in 2003. She was one of my original reporters, so it was nice to sit down with her and talk about seeing First in Line and seeing Rhoda Roberts… we all wanted to be like her. A strong Aboriginal woman talking about issues in prime time.”

NITV formally became part of SBS in 2012.

This year also marks Karla Grant’s 30th anniversary at SBS. Living Black, Australia’s longest running Indigenous current affairs television program, is now in its 22nd year.

A Western Arrernte woman, she has been EP of the program since 2002, which she began fronting two years later.

“SBS has played a key role in turning that around. Obviously we’re highlighting the issues First Nations people face, but it’s elevating the stories and talking from all different perspectives, and really changing the reportage and coverage of Indigenous stories.

“Indigenous Media matters. It’s important for us to be telling our stories and giving people opportunities as well. So many First Nations people who worked at SBS and NITV have gone on to do other things, so it’s really played a key role. We talk about the cadetship that I set up at SBS because we didn’t have that before.

“There was a mainstream cadetship, but we weren’t seeing a lot of young Aboriginal journalists or graduates coming through that programme.

“The programme also follows my journey as well. Because, I’ve been at SBS for 30 years now, so we start in Canberra, because that’s where my journey started in television… that’s where the decisions were being made about SBS and how it was formed.”

Redefining Australia: 50 Years of SBS. Friday September 26 at 8:30pm on SBS.