Media Localism – The Value of Regional and Rural Radio in Australia

Radio holds a significant role in regional, rural and remote parts of Australia. The notion of ‘local radio’ has been challenged with the inclusion of network radio models into these places along with the take up of social media platforms. This paper will explore what it means to be local in this context, what type of radio service endures in these markets and to what extent they are successful. Arguably, radio is an integral part of the social structures in the geographical place and offers a synergistic relationship within the community. The notion of 'local' affords the market, in most cases, local news, information programs and community service information. Against a globalised understanding of the world, local is a contested concept. In this context local is geographically defined and is fiercely upheld by these local communities served by a variety of local radio stations. In the midst of the more recent reformation of the media industry in Australia, local content continued to be a significant element for consideration and protection. The policy outcomes identify the value placed on local, in the regional and remote communities. Governments around the world are challenged with the tension of maintaining a local presence for media against a national media model. The UK and USA have been champions of maintaining a local voice on the international stage. This paper will focus on some key Queensland regional and rural centres, specifically Roma, Charleville, Longreach and Winton, responses to the place of media in their community. I will discuss findings from some baseline data gathered in these communities. I have used both qualitative and quantitative methods to provide baseline data. These sites are of interest as they are representative of many locations around Australia in terms of climatic and economic impacts, as well as the loss of local media sources. Local communities are seeking a robust local voice and the changing mediascape offers little comfort to this important part of Australia. What is being sought, some current models and concepts for consideration will be provided in this paper