This lively and accessible book charts how Australian audiences have engaged with radio and television since the 1920s. Ranging across both the commercial and public service broadcasting sectors, it recovers and explores the lived experiences of a wide cross-section of Australian listeners and viewers. Offering new perspectives on how audiences have responded to broadcast content, and how radio and television stations have been part of the lives of Australians, over the past one hundred years, this book invites us into the dynamic world created for children by the radio industry, traces the operations of radio and television clubs across Australia, and uncovers the workings of the Australian Broadcasting Commission's viewers' advisory committees. It also opens up the fan mail received by Australian broadcasting stations and personalities, delves into the complaints files of regulators, and teases out the role of participants and studio audiences in popular matchmaking programs.
Introduction.- 1. Aunties, Uncles and Argonauts.- 2. The Fan Mail Trail.- 3. Public Affairs On-Air.- 4. Club Loyalty.- 5. Viewing Television by Committee.- 6. Talking Back.- 7. Outrage and Complaint.- 8. Matchmaking.- Conclusion.
Bridget Griffen-Foley is Professor of Media at Macquarie University, Australia.
