Radio Station
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander broadcasting started with two brothers who founded the Townsville Aboriginal and Islander Media Association (TAIMA) in 1972 and began broadcasting on Mount Stuart, about 10 km south of Townsville in Queensland.
In 2007 there were more than 130 radio stations of various sizes around the nation.
In the remote parts of Australia, the Broadcasting for Remote Aboriginal Communities Scheme (BRACS) gives Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people access to and control of their own media at a community level.
Borroloola is a relaxed and friendly remote fishing community on the McArthur River in the Gulf of Carpentaria. Radio Borroloola is the local voice of the gulf — 8MAB Radio can be heard on FM 102.9.
For us in Indigenous media, I think that there was pride and joy that we were finally able to create that voice for our people and by our people. It certainly takes a community effort to get there, but once you’ve got it, there is that exhilaration of knowing that here we are now. We have our voice, we have got our place in broadcasting our voice and expressing our views about the richness of our culture and heritage.
This program is made possible with the support from the Community Broadcasting Foundation. Find out more at cbf.org.au.