Australian Indigenous and Ethnic Community Radio: Public Spaces, Familiar Places

Abstract

Australian community radio stations are licensed to service and represent a kaleidoscope of communities across the vast Australian continent distinguished by geography and/or interest. They are, by law, required to adopt a non-profit status; and while they seek and accept sponsorship from local businesses and organisations, all finances gained must be directed back into stations in one way or another. Usually, this takes the form of training, purchase of premises, employment of staff, purchase of equipment, and so on. This chapter seeks to pursue the authors' combined interest in community broadcasters which do not fit within what is termed 'generalist' stations - those serving a broad, usually geographically-defined audience - focussing instead on Indigenous and ethnic community broadcasting in Australia. It places considerations about the role of these community media into the discourse of contemporary public debates about refugees, asylum-seekers and Indigenous Australians.