"Community broadcasting is anecdotally considered a ‘training ground’ for the mainstream media. However, there is little empirical research that supports these claims around skill development and career outcomes. Similarly, while community broadcasting is broadly recognized as contributing to so ... cial cohesion, the focus of much of this research is on audiences rather than the experiences of community media practitioners. This article is based on a broader programme of research that interrogated the experiences of people with significant involvement in the Australian community broadcasting sector to examine the impact of community media participation on career pathways. Here we consider a key finding: working or volunteering in community radio plays an important role in developing robust and meaningful networks, connections, and relationships which are central to shaping personal and professional pathways. These findings draw on rhizome theory to highlight the importance of community broadcasting for building and maintaining diverse and enduring networks." (Abstract) more

"This article outlines the early history of the Australian community radio sector. It focuses on three of the country’s oldest stations – Radio Adelaide, 4ZZZ and 3CR – to document the establishment and growth of the sector over the past fifty years. Two theoretical lenses are identified from ... the literature on Australian community broadcasting, loosely categorized as citizens’ media and empowerment media, and these are evident in the narratives of the case study stations. A third framework – social movement theory – is proposed for further understanding the value of community broadcasting and its contributions to the wider media landscape." (Abstract) more

"The Australian community radio sector is a rich source of information for researchers, activists and practitioners working to support and develop community broadcasting worldwide. With a 46-year history, it represents an established and enduring third tier of independent local broadcasting with ove ... r 450 non-profit radio services legislated to provide opportunities for community engagement and participation. This article focuses on the political, economic and institutional factors involved in a change of ownership and management of Radio Adelaide, the country’s longest running community radio station. The process illustrates the impact and effects of the non-profit industrial complex as stations struggle for financial survival and independence in an increasingly competitive, corporatized environment. It is a case study which questions the contemporary understanding of a strong and resilient sector, highlighting themes to inform community media research and practice internationally." (Abstract) more

"Women and girls make up only a small percentage of the overall prison population; however, there has been a significant increase in their representation, most notably over the past twenty years. Despite this, fundamental understandings of the role of prisons, as well as issues around recidivism and ... desistance are based on a male norm, failing to meet the needs of women affected by the criminal justice system. This article outlines the findings from an ongoing grassroots action research project conducted with a support group for women of lived prison experience, based in Adelaide, South Australia, to investigate radio production as a means for supporting women in their transition to life outside of prison. It draws on observations made over a two-year period of radio production and thematic content analysis to investigate the role of community radio as a tool of desistance for formerly incarcerated women." (Abstract) more

"Radio produced and broadcast behind prison walls is redefining traditional meanings of 'public service broadcasting' and disrupting traditional power structures within the prison system. Focusing on one of the most interesting developments in UK prisons over the past 10 years, this book examines th ... e early history of the Prison Radio Association and the formation of the first national radio station for prisoners. Highlighting the enduring importance of social values in broadcasting, this book shows how radio can be used as a powerful force for social change. It will be of interest to those involved in media, criminal justice and social activism." (Back cover) more

"Prison radio is a particularly valuable contribution to the investigation of opportunities for social activism and the potential of radio for social change, able to support prisoners through their sentences and contribute to reducing re-offending. This study is the first to document the growth of U ... K prison radio, focusing on the accounts of the people involved in the formation of the Prison Radio Association (PRA). Established in 2006, the PRA was the first organisation of its kind internationally. Initially set up to network and support individual prison radio projects, it has now grown to the extent of creating and managing the world's first National Prison Radio service. This research outlines the process through which relatively small-scale media activism, based on prisoners' rights, came to be an intrinsic part of prison culture, playing a central role in institutional operations. It considers prison radio growth within the context of the economic reworking of broadcasting, prisons, and social activism in post-Thatcher Britain, acknowledging the emergence of the PRA as both a product of New Labour technologies of governance and of the counter-discursive opportunities they p6roduced. Against a backdrop of public service privatisation and media commercialisation, the development of the PRA illustrates the complex processes of working in partnership with institutions and agencies to develop a prisoner-led service. It is a story which highlights the enduring importance of social values in broadcasting, represents new opportunities for social activism, and presents radio as a powerful force for social change." (Abstract) more