Photo: Christina Goodman

Eight Sydney community radio stations have launched their digital transmission service, improving audio quality and doubling their broadcast capacity..

The newly launched digital radio stations 2RPH Digital, 2SER Digital, FBi Radio, Inspire Digital, Koori RadiOO, 2MBS Fine Music, 2MFM Muslim DR, 2000Languages are part of a nation-wide rollout of digital transmission services for all community radio stations. Phase one of the rollout is nearly complete with 33 capital city stations already transmitting digitally. Regional areas will follow.

Melanie Withnall, manager of Sydney’s 2SER said feedback has been good from listeners so far.

“The feedback that we have had is that people are listening to us on digital. We sound really nice and clear,” she said.

“The music sounds better and it does have that CD quality sound.”

Quality improvements for stations that broadcast in AM should be particularly noticeable.

Ms Withnall said going digital will give listeners more choice.

“One of the beauties of digital radio is that we do have that option now to say we’re still 2SER with the same great content, with the same interesting programs and music, but you can listen to us either on our website, FM radio, or on digital radio, or podcast us.”

According to Adrian Basso, head of the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia, transmitting in digital will double broadcast capacity for community stations. One of the benefits will be greater access to broadcast for multicultural stations that service niche communities.

“Often there wasn’t enough space, or if there was space it was late at night,” Mr Basso said.

“So this gives new avenues for those emerging communities.”

Most stations will start by ‘simulcasting’ – broadcasting in both mediums at the same time – and slowly introducing a wider variety based on listener feedback.

Ms Withnall is excited by 2SER’s ability to offer special features on the digital service, having already transmitted one special feature program on digital that was not available on FM.

“With special features it is quite hard to give over your whole station. WomAdelaide was something that we could put an extended version on our digital service and say to people “if you want more, here it is”.”

Stations can also choose to time-shift, offering similar content at different times.

Many community radio stations will also use the same transmission multiplex, allowing stations across Australia to share content, for example broadcasting the same show in different capital cities.

Mr Basso said: “We’ve built a backbone, where one radio station could do an outside broadcast and feed it through the chain, and all stations can pick it up and broadcast it.

“I know there are a few stations that will share and do some networking,” he said.

According to Basso, the audience for community radio is larger than many people realise.

“We reach 26% of Australian listeners every week. That’s pretty significant.”

On the future of community digital radio, Mr Basso said: “It’s not meant to replace AM or FM, it’s a supplementary service. This whole technology is so young that I think there are a lot of things that people haven’t thought of yet that will become a reality in the future.

“I think whatever happens community radio will be there pushing for the grassroots stuff and work out ways to really promote that with new technology.”

Source: Christina Goodman, Alternative Media

Bwgcolman Radio is a five-year-old initiative of the Palm Island Police Citizens Youth Club, which is itself considered to be a great success story, despite its controversial beginnings in February 2005.

The radio station is a vital community asset and provides the only local opportunity for the community to make their own media, and hear their own voices on air.

Palm Island has a resident community of approximately 4000 people of whom more than 93% are Indigenous Australians.  Because of its complex history, the community consists of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders from approximately 42 different clan groups. Compared with other parts of Australia, the Palm Island community is young with 35.6% under 15 and only 6.4% over 55. Torres Strait Islander Kriol is the most commonly spoken language.

They commenced local braodcasting from West Mackay on this day at 12 Noon – within a few months they ventured to fully local programming 24/7 – while other stations are celebrating much bigger numbers i.e. 80 years broadcasting (and good on them). For Mackay and indigenous braodcasting this is a significant day. Here’s to another 5 years and more .

Happy Birthday to us.

Having just received the Award cheque in the mail, station manager Ari Geerdink has decided to use the prize money to purchase a video camera to build on the momentum of this year’s success.

“The camera will be used for our newest project – Faces of Derby,” he says. “Serena, Rickie-Lee and Wai who interviewed locals for the ‘Voices’ project, are going to check in with the locals they’ve talked to in recent years to see what progress they’ve made and how they are going.”

Faces of Derby will be the third successive project of 6DBY 97.9 FM, following Sounds of Derby – a compilation CD of local Derby bands and the recent Voices of Derby project. “Winning at The Voxies has really given us the motivation to keep going,” he says. “That’s why these awards are so crucial to the community broadcasting sector.”

ICTV – compiles content produced by Indigenous community video-makers in remote communities and makes it available to remote audiences around Australia.

Each week, ICTV transmits 60 hours of Indigenous television on Optus Channel 23.  ICTV has capacity to reach 42 remote communities, plus outstations, prisons and homes.

Currently 42 communities, listed below, have been regularly switching over to ICTV each weekend and sending out a signal on either community broadcasting or open narrowcast licenses. These communities include from

Western Australia: Warnan, Warakurna, Tjukurla, Blackstone, Jameson, Warburton, Bidyadanga, Looma, Kalumburu, Roebourne, prison work camp at Wyndham, Djarindjin, One Arm Point, Beagle Bay, Warmun (Turkey Creek), Irrunytju, Tjuntjuntjarra, Tjirrkarli, Kiwirrkurra, Parngurr (Cotton Creek), Yandeyarra, Wakathuni, Youngaleena and newcomer Balgo.

South Australia: Ernabella, Fregon, Indulkana, Amata,  Mimili and Umuwa.

Northern Territory: Yuendumu, Batchelor, Ramingining, Pirlangimpi, Milikapiti, Yarralin, Warruwi, Nhulunbuy and Docker River.

Queensland: Hopevale, Darnley Island (Torres Strait) and Aurukun.

Please contact us for more information about communicating with remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Perth’s only Aboriginal radio station won the not for profit category and Hip Hop Show presenters, The Two Norty Bros – Sam Pilot-Kickett and Jamahl Ryder – jointly won the best artist category.

“The Perth NAIDOC Awards are a solid reflection of just how far Noongar Radio has come in its first year on the airwaves of Perth,” said Station Manager, Michelle White. “It’s also great recognition of the talent of our volunteer presenters.”

The awards were presented at the Perth NAIDOC Opening Ceremony in Wellington Street on Sunday the 4th of July.

“Noongar Radio will continue to thrive and grow and improve with the strong support of the Noongar community.” said Noongar Radio Chair Carol Dowling, who collected the not for profit award on behalf of the station.

The awards come almost one year to the day after Noongar Radio was officially launched at the same event last year. Since launching, 100.9fm has grown from an automated playlist to fourteen regular programs and more than 20 dedicated broadcasters and volunteers.

Even before an episode of the radio drama, Kasa Por Yarn, had been aired, it already has a huge following with about 800 fans on Facebook; thus showing positive signs that it will be a big hit.

The radio drama hit the airwaves in the Torres Strait when it was launched at the Torres Strait Islander Media Association’s radio station, 4MW, on Thursday Island on April 15. (The number at April 23 was more than 1700.)

The 12-part series, focusing on youth and relationships, went to air in front of a live audience and live broadcast hosted by Radio 4MW.

Before airing the first episode, Bishop Saibo Mabo gave the Opening Prayer and Mayor Pedro Stephen gave the Welcome, however, Kaurareg Elder Joseph Wasaga sent his apology for not being able to do the Welcome to Country due to cultural commitments.

Aaron Fa’aoso, who plays the role of Billy, as well as, being the creative and cultural consultant of Kasa Por Yarn. was guest speaker and spoke about having strong community ties.

He said: “If there are strong families then they makes strong communities.

“The internet and today’s technology has a strong impact on our youths and it’s alarming what they are facing.”

Fa’aoso acknowledged the Youth and Relationships Network (YARN) committees on NPA and Thursday Island, as well as, students input and the material used for stories.

“Students workshops were informative on what’s happening in their world, and. once you hear it on radio, you’ll then realise the magnitude of such a radio drama.”

Mau Power, along with Danny Boy, performed a couple of songs including the theme song Kasa Por Yarn which was written in just two days.

Radio interviews were conducted with cast members and others including Director/Writer Simon Luckhurst, who felt it was a privilege to work on this project.

“When people put their hearts into it, you walk away remembering such a project.

“I hope you like the play because it’s a good drama and culturally appropriate.”

When Kasa Por Yarn was being played, outside the TSIMA/4MW offices on Douglas Street, the interest by the audience was great and they showed their appreciation by clapping at the end of the first episode.

Just a day before the radio drama was launched at Bamaga with NPA cast members, Simon Luckhurst and Queensland Health representatives.

Apart from having a Facebook page Kasa Por Yarn also has a Bebo page.

Source: Torres News

Analysis produced as part of the Song Cycles research project – undertaken jointly by the Australia Council for the Arts and the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) – indicates that indigenous performances made up only 0.14 per cent of all music played on commercial radio stations in 2008, with the proportion dropping as low as 0.05 per cent back in 2005.

The research found that “with the exception of Western Australia, every state and territory indicated a decline in the actual number of indigenous performances on Australian commercial radio for the period under review”.

Joan Warner, the chief executive of Commercial Radio Australia, told TSR in response to the report that commercial radio was “a great supporter of Australian music”, identifying Emma Donovan – an indigenous singer-songwriter and a winner at last year’s New Artists 2 Radio competition – as an example of an Aboriginal artist who “received airplay on a number of stations”.

On ABC radio stations, 1.37 per cent of music played in 2008 was from Aboriginal artists. By contrast, indigenous music constituted 4 per cent of the performances played on community stations, bolstered by high proportions on dedicated indigenous broadcasters.

“We’ll need to work with broadcasters to open the airwaves to more quality indigenous content,” said Mark Bin Bakar, the chair of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts Board.

The grim broadcasting findings were mirrored across the review, which also covered challenges faced by Aboriginal artists with respect to live performance and recording opportunities, education and training, and public funding for indigenous music. The report’s author, Sally Howland, stated:

“The Song Cycles research indicates that Indigenous musicians are disenfranchised at every stage: training up, playing live, recording, airplay, distribution and touring.

“No wonder people feel locked out.”

Source: The Spy Report

“We want communities to be better equipped to understand how current and possible future exploration and mining technologies may or may not affect the land,”CSIRO’s Minerals Down Under Flagship Director Dr Peter Lilly said.

“We hope that this will help during bilateral negotiations about land use”.

“Once the first set of interviews with CSIRO scientists has been disseminated through the NIRS network and web site, we will look for feedback from listeners to see what additional information they would like us to provide.”

CSIRO identified the NIRS as an effective way to reach remote communities through about 160 Indigenous radio stations throughout Western Australia, the Northern Territory, Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria.

Full Story http://www.csiro.au/news/Mining-with-remote-communities.html

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-owned and operated media is a critical tool in communicating to a diverse, and geographically dispersed, Indigenous population.

The unique strengths of Indigenous radio make it the single most effective medium to reach Indigenous Australians.

* Bridging vast distances – instantly

* A continuous soundtrack to everyday life

* Seamless Indigenous content

* Radio, as a spoken word medium, is more effective for this audience, who on average have lower literacy levels than other Australians

*The only medium to broadcast in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages

* Radio, as a free medium is highly effective for this audience who, on average have lower income levels than other Australians

* Spoken word medium suits the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander tradition of oral history and storytelling

For more information: www.spotsandspace.com.au