Radio still thriving and the jobs are out there: Sweeney

One of Australian radio’s top industry figures says radio continues to thrive as a medium, with the bulk of Australians tuning in each week.
 

Lisa Sweeney, the Program Leader, Radio at the Australian Film, Television and Radio School in Sydney, says listenership is booming, with 95% of Australians still listening to radio each week.

Sweeney made the comments in an interview with Ian McNamara, the host of the ABC’s long running Australia All Over program.

She told McNamara that radio continues to flourish because it’s an intimate medium: “It’s such an important personal connection in communities. Not just in big cities but in regional areas in particular, it’s so important to connect with your community.”

Sweeney says that connection is founded on a basis of trust and that faith extends to the products radio sells. “You always connect with the radio station you’re listening to and that product must be OK because my radio station is talking about it.

“You’re five times more likely to go looking for that product because you heard it on radio.”

She says the industry is still flourishing while other conventional media like TV, newspapers and magazines are really struggling to make a living.

Sweeney also says new and emerging technology, like podcasts, actually complement radio. “It’s not anywhere bigger than radio or supplanting radio or replacing it. It’s just another form of audio which goes to show how great audio or radio is. It’s not a dying craft by any stretch of the imagination.”

She says people are still turning to a potential career in radio and points to the 25,000 volunteers who freely give their time to work at community radio stations across Australia.

She says while the dynamics of the industry have changed in the face of new technology, there are plenty of jobs available especially in regional communities, where federal government legislation ensures at least some local programming is maintained.

The Australian Film, Television and Radio school was founded by federal legislation in 1973. It’s initial aim was to preserve the country’s filmmaking industry. It later expanded to meet the evolving needs of Australia’s broadcast industries. It is the leading institution for the education and training of creative talent in the screen arts and broadcast industries.

 

Tags: | | | | | | | | |