Delegates were invited to have their say this morning as Nick Ingram facilitated a session on how each station contributes to its community. He put the idea to the crowd that, “we all need, as a sector, a coherent story about why we are important.”

Nick went on to highlight three key ideas that are vital to any community station:

• Contributing to an open society
• A strong democracy
• A Vibrant Culture 

“For a strong democracy you need diversity of voice. For some towns that diversity is not there and that’s when community radio becomes very important” 

As the discussion filtered throughout the room, delegates told stories about their own personal connections to their local communities.

“We consider that they (the listeners) are our family and we are their family” – Hobart 96.1FM
 
“We have been able to reach these people, share their voices and make them feel like they are being listened to” – Radio Adelaide

The CBAA’s Tahlia Azaria presented a video on leadership, relevant to how the community broadcasting sector could use its momentum to mobilise more followers.