The Independent Multicultural Media Association (IMMA) has announced the appointment of Bülent Hass Dellal AO and Wendy Huang to its board, marking a significant development for Australia’s multicultural media sector.
The appointments come at a critical time as multicultural media continues to gain recognition within government as an essential pillar of public interest journalism, particularly in reaching culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
Dr Dellal is one of Australia’s most influential figures in multicultural affairs, with more than three decades of leadership across government, media and community sectors. He is the current Chair of the Australian Multicultural Foundation and a former Chair of the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS), as well as a former Chair of the Australian Multicultural Council.
Most recently, Dr Dellal chaired the Commonwealth Government’s Multicultural Framework Review, a landmark national process examining the future of multiculturalism in Australia and informing policy settings for years to come. His appointment signals a closer alignment between multicultural media and national policy development, particularly as the Review highlighted the importance of inclusive media in shaping social cohesion and public discourse.
Dr Dellal has also previously engaged in IMMA-led discussions and industry forums, reflecting an existing connection with the independent multicultural media sector that is now formalised through his board appointment.
“It’s a pleasure to be assisting IMMA in its journey,” Dr Dellal said.
“One of the strong recommendations [from the Review] was that multicultural media needed to be better supported and to look beyond traditional mainstream broadcasting. Through that work and advocacy, we were able to secure over $10 million in support. I’m really looking forward to this role and pleased to see key recommendations now being put into place.”
Joining him is Ms Huang, Publisher and Managing Director of The Chinese Herald and head of 1688 Media Group, one of Australia’s most prominent Chinese-language media networks. She brings extensive experience across print and digital publishing, with a strong focus on audience growth, multilingual communication and community engagement.
“We have been part of IMMA since the very beginning, and it’s been great to see its growth. I’m looking forward to continuing to support multicultural media as it evolves,” Ms Huang said.
Ms Huang has also been appointed to the Advisory Board of the National Foundation for Australia-China Relations, reflecting her role in bridging media, government and diaspora communities.
IMMA has increasingly positioned itself as a national voice for independent multicultural media, particularly in advocating for greater recognition of the sector in public policy, equitable access to government communication funding, and stronger support for public interest journalism across diverse communities.
The appointments of Dr Dellal and Ms Huang bring together policy leadership, government engagement and large-scale multicultural audience reach at a time when the role of multicultural media is under renewed focus. Their inclusion is expected to strengthen IMMA’s ability to advocate at both industry and government levels, as the sector continues to evolve in response to changing media consumption and Australia’s growing diversity.
