Griffith Audience Research
Community Media Matters - Audiences Talk Back
The Community Media Matters report is a ground-breaking study of audience response to community radio, including Indigenous and Ethnic community radio, and community television. The report is the culmination of a two-year national qualitative audience study of Australian community broadcasting audiences conducted by Griffith University.
This project is of national and international significance - worldwide, there has been no attempt to listen to community media audience members on a comparable scale. While not without its criticisms the report is a strong affirmation of the value of community broadcasting to contemporary Australian society.
The Australian community broadcasting sector is recognised internationally as one of the most successful examples of grassroots media. The 2006 Community Radio National Listener Survey revealed that over seven and a half million Australians - or 47 per cent of people aged over 15 - listen to community radio every month. The Community Media Matters report provides unique insights into these diverse audiences by attempting to ‘explain’ the numbers, providing more detail about why Australians are increasingly tuning in to community radio and television and how they do it.
The research complements the quantitative Community Radio National Listener Survey and builds on prior research into the community radio sector by Griffith University, titled 'Culture Commitment Community - the Australian Community Radio Sector’.
Funding was provided by the Australian Research Council through an Industry Linkage grant and by the Australian Government through the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, distributed through the Community Broadcasting Foundation.
The research team involved researchers from Griffith University's School of Arts, Media and Culture: Associate Professor Michael Meadows; Dr Susan Forde; Dr Kerrie Foxwell, Dr Jacqui Ewart and Indigenous researchers Mr Derek Flucker and Ms Christine Morris.
The CBF's Qualitative Audience Research Advisory Committee oversaw the conduct of the project. The committee was comprised of the industry partners (CBF, CBAA & DCITA) and representatives from the Australian Indigenous Communications Association, Indigenous Remote Communications Association, National Ethnic & Multicultural Broadcasters' Council, RPH Australia, and Griffith University.
The Community Media Matters report was launched on Friday 17 August 2007 at 3RRR-FM, Melbourne, by Senator the Hon Helen Coonan, Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate.
For more information download a copy of the Community Media Matters report, and check out the media resources, community service announcements, photographs and speeches from the launch.
For further details or media inquiries contact:
Rebekah Pasqualini - Community Broadcasting Foundation
Ph: (03) 9419 8055 email: info@cbf.com.au