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# Regional and First Nations media lead the News Innovation Fund payouts
- URL: https://www.promptthemarket.com/news-innovation-fund-regional-first-nations-media/
- Published: 2026-11-04T22:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-11-04T22:00:00.000Z
- Description: The Community Broadcasting Association of Australia took the largest grant from the $31.5 million fund, and the 12 biggest recipients shared 62.6% of the pool.
- Author: Editor News
- Tags: Media, Australia, #author-james-dore

![James Dore](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e4/01/e4017178-c1da-4131-80aa-35f02cb5b999/content/images/2026/09/james-dore.jpg)

By **James Dore** · 2026-10-22

TLDR

The federal government's $31.5 million News Innovation Fund has been split between 54 successful applicants, with community broadcasters, regional publishers and First Nations media taking the largest grants. The 12 biggest recipients received 62.6% of the money.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

01The $31.5 million News Innovation Fund has 54 successful applicants.

02The Community Broadcasting Association of Australia received the largest grant, just over $3 million.

03National Indigenous Times and Country Press Australia each received about $2.26 million.

04The top 12 grantees took 62.6% of the pool.

05The fund sits within the $153.5 million News Media Assistance Program.

## Where the money went

The federal government's $31.5 million News Innovation Fund, paid in two tranches over two years, has 54 successful applicants, and the biggest grants have gone to community, regional and First Nations media.[\[1\]](https://mumbrella.com.au/regional-media-big-winners-in-news-innovation-fund-payouts-943407?ref=promptthemarket.com)

The Community Broadcasting Association of Australia received the largest single grant, just over $3 million. National Indigenous Times and Country Press Australia each received $2.26 million, and Kore Communications, publisher of the New England Times, more than $2 million.[\[1\]](https://mumbrella.com.au/regional-media-big-winners-in-news-innovation-fund-payouts-943407?ref=promptthemarket.com)

Star News Group, Surf Coast News Australia, James Yeats and Sons, Deaf Services, Educational Broadcasters Adelaide and Western Sydney Publishing Group each received more than $1 million. Ngaarda Media Aboriginal Corporation received $979,000 and the Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association $975,800.[\[1\]](https://mumbrella.com.au/regional-media-big-winners-in-news-innovation-fund-payouts-943407?ref=promptthemarket.com)

The money is concentrated. The 12 largest grantees received 62.6% of the pool, leaving the other 42 recipients to share the rest.[\[1\]](https://mumbrella.com.au/regional-media-big-winners-in-news-innovation-fund-payouts-943407?ref=promptthemarket.com)

## The wider program

The fund is part of the $153.5 million News Media Assistance Program. A separate $67.6 million Journalism Assistance Fund is supporting more than 2,000 journalists at 185 Australian news publishers, including more than 90 regional media organisations.[\[2\]](https://minister.infrastructure.gov.au/wells/media-release/supporting-sustainable-innovative-news-sector?ref=promptthemarket.com)

"We need Australians telling Australian stories and that can't happen without backing Australian journalists," Communications Minister Anika Wells said.[\[2\]](https://minister.infrastructure.gov.au/wells/media-release/supporting-sustainable-innovative-news-sector?ref=promptthemarket.com)

SOURCES & CITATIONS

1. [Regional media big winners in News Innovation Fund payouts, Mumbrella](https://mumbrella.com.au/regional-media-big-winners-in-news-innovation-fund-payouts-943407?ref=promptthemarket.com)
2. [Supporting a sustainable, innovative news sector, Minister for Communications Anika Wells](https://minister.infrastructure.gov.au/wells/media-release/supporting-sustainable-innovative-news-sector?ref=promptthemarket.com)

![James Dore](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e4/01/e4017178-c1da-4131-80aa-35f02cb5b999/content/images/2026/09/james-dore.jpg)

[James Dore](https://www.promptthemarket.com/james-dore/)

James Dore is founder and editor of Prompt the Market and Strategy Director at Bushnote, a Sydney strategy, SEO and AI search agency. He has a background in strategy, media and financial services, and led consumer product marketing at MONEYME. He writes on AI search, answer engines, technology policy and media economics.