Blog Assignment 6: The Importance of Radio

Radio in any setting would not be successful if it did not cater to the tastes of its listeners; it has to reflect the ideas of that community, and while it does that, it helps create the community as well. I will show this is true through two case studies, one centered on Australian aboriginal radio and the other in Fort McPherson in the Northwest Territories of Canada. Radio has a really strong importance in both of these communities, and through radio, the people of these communities have a sense of belonging and identity, as does the radio programming itself.
In the movie CBQM, we see how the CBQM radio station in Fort McPherson is organized. It is not only run by community members, but also most if not all the things talked about and played on the station are for that community (Allen, 2009). This radio station creates community by bringing them together. You can tell it is a very small town, and everyone really relies on the radio for guidance on community information, including religious information, police announcements, birthday announcements, and even telling one person to call another, just to list off a few things (Allen, 2009). The radio station is a way for the members of the community to feel a sense of belonging; they are included in everything that is going on, even though they are sitting at home. On the other hand, the community really forms how the radio is formed, and a perfect example of this is when the weather starts to change and the days will be longer, you can tell there is extreme excitement in the community at this time, and something as little as weather to most people, is very important in this Northwest Territories community (Allen, 2009). This station is central to the community, and without the community the radio station would not exist, so they work together to form a relationship that is necessary for both sides. I think especially since this community is so small, that CBQM is so essential as it is their communities hub for information of all forms, it is a way to make sure people are safe, like letting them know about a wolf sighting, and a way to keep them up to date on political information, like with the chief informing them about concerns in the community (Allen, 2009). This radio station truly reflects this community’s interests and concerns, and is a great example of how radio can be so central to the meaning of a group.
The other case study is from Australia. It is a little different as it is on a larger scale than the CBQM example. Fisher talks about how there are many radio stations that try to reach aboriginal communities across Australia, and it is sort of a way of bringing them together, even though they are really several kilometers apart (Fisher, 2009). Like in the Fort McPherson case, these radio stations are a way to bring the aboriginal community and kin groups together, the stations are a venue of communication and help create a better sense of community identity and togetherness that otherwise would not exist across such a wide space (Fisher, 2009). Kin talk to each other through the radio, which really reflects the importance of kinship to these people (Fisher, 2009). This case study is a little different though, as it was the community itself that really fought for the station to start, so it definitely created the nature of the radio in that sense. Also, the community uses the station as a way to communicate with their families, like on CBQM, but also to play songs for family members and friends who are in prison (Fisher, 2009).
Both of these case studies are very similar, but have their distinct community characteristics. Although their scales are different, both radio programs create a tie for these aboriginal communities to feel a sense of community and togetherness, in situations that would not necessarily happen if the radio stations did not exist. The radio stations definitely cater to their listeners, and they play the music that that communities want and talk about the issues that concern these communities the most.