Media

In the late 1990s, Dave ‘Rabbit’ Rabbetts was a household name throughout the MIA as the original breakfast radio host on Griffith’s edgy new youth station, FM99.7. More than two decades later, he has taken his show on the road, doing what he does best from a mobile podcasting studio dubbed The PodVan, delivering "a celebration of the lighter side of life".

After the Albanese Government recently announced a proposal to introduce new laws to prohibit youths aged 16 and under from accessing and using social media, citing the changes are aimed at mitigating the harm social media is inflicting on Australian children, the Clarence Valley Independent decided to conduct a street survey.

Sarah Herrmann. Two former Port Broughton residents are set to host a prestigious national radio show. The first is award-winning journalist Sally Sara, who will replace Patricia Karvelas as the host of ABC’s Radio National Breakfast next year. She will be joined by producer Joe Sullivan, also formerly of Port Broughton ...

Ian Riley. One of the best things about the museum, other than the exhibits, is the people you meet there. I have always been a history tragic, but on my last visit to the museum, I met Michelle Ross. Michelle has a YouTube channel with 9,000 followers and a website called Goldfields Guide ...

The Riverine Grazier walked away with five awards at the 2024 Country Press NSW Annual Conference and Awards Dinner in Dubbo last week. Our commemorative edition celebrating the 150th anniversary of The Riverine Grazier was judged Best Special Publication...

The Riverine Grazier has made a decision to not publish images of children under the age of 13 online, in a move aimed to protect local kids. At the invitation of the NSW Government and representing Country Press NSW, Grazier manager Krista Schade attended the Social Media Summit ... "The eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant spoke of the hazards of sharing images of children online, on open pages, which prompted Tertia and I to reconsider how our newspaper handles images of young children."

Volunteers at the Clarence Valley’s own community radio station, Loving Life FM103.1, celebrated the 50th Anniversary of Community Broadcasting this week on Monday ... On September 23, 1974, the Whitlam Labor Government made a Cabinet decision to create a community broadcasting sector for “those who represent organisations that think they have something to say and want some better means of saying it…

Sarah Herrmann. Kadina's Charli Pearce was 10 years old when she started using social media. Now 18, she said while she somewhat regrets that decision, she also believes attempts to stop young people from using it will be fruitless.

Leaders from eleven community groups across Australia have shared their stories about the projects their communities embarked on in the depths of the drought that affected so much of Australia over the last decade. The stories can be heard on FRRR’s new Tackling Tough Times Together podcast.

Bob Tissott. And verily it came to pass that after a quarter of a century of non-stop broadcasting to the residents of the Nimbin Valley, the volunteer presenters at Nim-FM gathered together to celebrate the re-opening of their primary broadcast Studio, which had undergone a total refit from the floor up ... And so, lift your scones, jam and cream in a toast to Community Radio and the next 25 years at Nim-FM, Voice of the Alternative Nation.

In the first half of 2024, one-third of Australians accessed Facebook for news, a new study reveals. The finding contradicts Meta’s long-standing assertion that news content is a minor part of the Facebook experience for most Australian users ... CPA President and Warragul & Drouin Gazette publisher Andrew Schreyer said there were significant industry challenges ahead, and forecast potential closures of up to 50 member outlets as current agreements under the News Media Bargaining Code with Meta near their expiration.

Shane O’Shea. On July 29 this year, the “Buloke Times” commenced its 150th year of newspaper publication, continuing a tradition of recording local district news established by the founder of the “Donald Times”, the late Godfrey Morgan ... the newspaper has undergone many changes, both in name and production method, but has steadfastly adhered to the desire to keep its readers informed and to record the many events that impact their lives and have shaped the development of the region.

The Riverine Grazier team chose last week’s Hatfield Happenings event to announce a new digital masthead. The Back Country Bulletin will be available in September ... “Adding a new masthead to our company is one of the biggest expansions in the 151-year history of The Grazier,” manager Krista Schade said.

John Jiggins. The man previously known as prisoner A9379AY departed Bellmarsh prison on Tuesday 25th June and returned to Australia on Wednesday 26th June. The private jet carrying him on his 36-hour flight to Australia touched down in Canberra that night ... It was a moment that many Australians had hoped to see, but thought they never would.

South East free-to-air TV viewers suddenly deprived of Sky News Regional – as of last week – “deserve better”, a state MP says. People across the South-East and the state’s Riverland – plus sections of NSW – lost access to Sky News Regional on Monday 1 July after Sky’s affiliation agreement with WIN Television ended.

Andrew Schreyer. Last month, Country Press Australia (CPA) – the largest representative association of newspaper publishers in Australia, appeared before a joint hearing in Canberra into social media and its impacts on Australian society. The hearing was convened out of concerns about the negative impacts social media platforms have upon our community, including the recent decision by Meta to no longer pay news publishers for content posted to the company’s platforms.

Pia Funch & Trina Shepherd. Here is the latest news from the travel industry and the LHITA. Australians have accumulated significant amounts of annual leave due to the pandemic, with the average standing at 14.1 days per year ... This "pent-up demand" has led to a more competitive travel space and a notable increase in marketing spend.

This special edition of “Sparks from the Past” – is written in appreciation of Jim Whistler, founder of The [Lord Howe Island] Signal ... Sally looked through every [Lord Howe Island] Signal in the LHI Historical Society collection - all 1157 of them! ... Her high regard for Jim, and extensive use of the Signal for research purposes, clearly illustrate the contribution both have made to our precious Island archives.

After a year of filming When the House is Empty: The Journey of Four Seasons is finally nearing its long-awaited completion. The film comprises over 200 hours of footage, spanning three locations, four major shoots and twenty-seven additional ones, telling a story of desire, love, loss and humour.