Maintaining cultural identity in local communities: a role for broadcasting.

1
Maintaining cultural identity in local
communities a role for broadcasting.

• JOURNET Conference 17 February 2004.
• NOAHS Hotel,
• Newcastle
• Mike McCluskey
• Local Radio Manager ABC Newcastle
• and PhD Student,School of Design, Communications
  IT, University of Newcastle.

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Charter Obligations / Cultural Obligations

• Major role for public broadcasters reflect and
  support identity, diversity and dynamics of
  local culture.
• Increased viewing and listening choices,
  paradoxically ? reduced media presence in local
  communities and smaller local markets.
• Inc pressure on public broadcasters to deliver
  news and other content for local communities BUT
  with reduced and limited resources
• Popular culture programming, carried on networked
  stations has much stronger appeal to younger
  audience.

3
Some Public Broadcaster Strategies

• France Bleu, Radio France invests big money in
  regional radio with a strong focus on popular
  culture and music in each location.
• BBC (UK) Asian Network is geographically local
  around Birmingham but targets the Asian
  community within that region. This allows BBC to
  tap into an audience that it otherwise would
  simply not attract, BUT requires significant
  resources to achieve
• ABC Local Radio targets 60 local communities
  around Australia to reflect local community
  interests and aspirations while ABCs Triple J
  network targets youth nationally with Australian
  cultural content.

4
Cultural Identity

• EBU strongly concerned over loss of language,
  aural history, sense of community
• Once, young people used word of mouth, games,
  family interaction and community activities
  stories passed down from generation to generation
  
• Now, modern media change the way young people
  learn about their cultures. They watch, listen,
  play, spend time and interact through the various
  media forms
• Electronic media have strong potential to shape
  and influence young peoples cultural awareness
  and sense of social community.
• NT Government view. People from non English
  speaking backgrounds and indigenous groups
  should receive news and their local content in
  their native languages.

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Media Role in Reflecting Culture

• B. Goldsmith et al (2001), with ABA, note that
  broadcasting has a significant role in nation
  building and cultural identity as well as
  providing information and shared experience.
  Report notes that a strict policy environment is
  required to achieve this and that public
  broadcasters must perform significant cultural
  role.
• Very high proportion of younger people viewing
  (commercial) channel 10 do not access local
  information based television programming.
• Older listeners/viewers are exposed to local news
  and information much more than younger
  listeners.

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Television audience profile
37 of viewing by males aged 0-15 goes to Ten
Source OzTam Metropolitan TV Ratings
1.1.2003-16.06.2003
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Who is Accessing Local Talk Radio?

• People under age 40 do not listen to AM radio.
  Confirmed in Newcastle.
• Very few people under age 40 access talk radio
  stations, which cater for local cultural issues
• Need local survey data to confirm but these
  trends apparently extend to most metro and
  regional markets in Australia where alternative
  FM sources exist

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Surveys around the world show people under 40 do
not access AM radio.
Frequency of listening to AM stations (by age)  
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Talking to the Locals

• Low level of interest in News and Current Affairs
  programming, countered by high interest in
  popular culture programming, esp popular music -
  already provided by commercial FM stations.
• AM and talk format radio is largely listened to
  people aged 50 while people under 50 listen to
  FM popular music and lighter content stations.
• Talk Radio contains strong elements of cultural
  content, often incl considerable amounts of
  music. Local talk stations are the most likely
  to reflect local social and cultural values
• Bryson (NT govt) argues that
• strong diversity of content, incl quality
  networked radio, importantly offers diversity in
  entertainment and information
• local communities also need information about own
  issues in own language.

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Level of interest in news / talk format radio
(by age)
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Music

• Most of the people under age 40 listen to popular
  music FM radio stations
• Most FM radio stations play popular
  Anglo-American music ? predominant cultural
  exposure for this age group

78 of NXFMs listening is by people aged 39 or
under
Source AC Nielsen Newcastle Radio Survey 1 2003
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Directions set for electronic media
Public Broadcasting and Globalisation Report of
the Commission on Radio and Television Policy
Central and Eastern Europe (1979) outlines public
broadcasting principles, incl

• I.                   Public broadcasting is
  essential to provide high-quality information,
  entertainment, education, and public service
  programs that take cultural identity into
  consideration. Public broadcasting is also
  essential for providing citizens with the
  information they need to make informed choices
  and exercise democratic rights, serving the needs
  of local cultures and minorities educating
  citizens of all ages, and transmitting messages
  important for public health. Public broadcasting
  can also provide a forum for a national
  conversation regarding issues of fundamental
  concern.
• II.       Public broadcasting should be
  independent of state control and its programming
  should be insulated from governmental
  interference.

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Concluding Summary

• Public broadcasters must provide relevant and
  accessible programming that represents the
  interests and aspirations of the local
  communities yet also has appeal and relevance to
  all people within the local communities they
  serve.
• Given the likelihood that most young people are
  now using electronic media and communication
  systems as a prime tool for developing their
  sense of cultural awareness and identity the
  implications of this significant influence on
  peoples lives needs thorough examination.