In Australia, Aboriginal radio is very flexible and reflective of the history and needs of the Aboriginal population changing to fit the requests of the people it serves. Australia has a colonial history in which Aboriginal groups and families were separated especially in the case of "half cast" children (Fisher 2009). This history of separation, in addition to the lifestyles of the people who frequently move to and from various institutions like conferences, ceremonies, or prisons has utilized the medium of radio in order to "link up" peoples who are far apart (Fisher 2009). On the other hand, in Israel the radio acts more as a regulatory media both fulfilling public needs as well as, dictating schedules, "engineering national identity" and changing "moods"(Kaplan 2009). In these two cases the role of radio is very different and it is largely due to the active or passive participation of the listeners involved and the necessity of the function of radio.
In Israel radio serves as a nation-building tool in which the imagined community of Zionist Jews is unified through the schedule of programming by the radio station (Kaplan 2009). Danny Kaplan discusses how radio in Israel is used in a "uniform manner" to "alter" the responses and moods of the people through the types of music played in response to current events (2009). Kaplan gives examples of events focusing on Jewish holidays as well as terrorist or war related news developments (2009). He addresses these starkly different occurrences and the way in which radio stations make their program to fit or influence national sentiments (Kaplan 2009). In order to either quell fears and tensions in times of emergency and war or to reinforce a celebratory and united atmosphere. Kaplan gives the example of 103fm which is normally station that focuses on being a talk show, but will play non-stop music on Jewish holidays (2009). In this way the radio in Israel reinforces existing bonds in the Zionist Jewish community reflecting on current events as well as "engineering the public mood" and reactions to news (Kaplan 2009).
While in the same way Australian Aboriginal radio creates notions of "authenticity" regarding aboriginal people (Fisher 2009). Daniel Fisher discussed briefly how the emphasis placed on the notion of kinship has reinforced and maybe exaggerated familial aspects of Aboriginal culture (2009). However for the most part Fisher describes the way in which the radio (as opposed to the people) has been influenced and dictated by the listeners. I stipulate that the overall style of radio in Australia is very different from that of Israel.
The radio in Australia contrasts that of Israel in that it serves to unify the Aboriginal kin networks through the crucial participation of the communities. Its collaborative nature is the basis of its success. Programs like, "Top End Aboriginal Bush Broadcasting Association" encourage the public to call in and send songs and messages to people across the country that may be listening (Fisher 2009). Much of this cross-country communication is related to the dispersal of family and friends across a wide expanse (Fisher 2009). The Aboriginal stations started as a form of activism to keep Aboriginal culture and language alive (Fisher 2009). But over time it transformed in order to better suit the people themselves. Due to the high rate of incarcerated male, aboriginals the radio stations started by keeping them in contact with their families enabling them to send recorded messages home (Fisher 2009). Fisher uses the example of "Nanna Evie" who via radio broadcast sends a message to her relative in jail (2009). The broadcast includes a song called "choices" which in combination acts as a slight scolding as well as a loving message across space and connecting or "linking up" families (Fisher 2009). In this case the radio is utilized by the people, as opposed to programmed for the people, as is the case in Israel.
Bibliography
Fisher, Daniel
2009. Mediating Kinship: Country, Family, and Radio in Northern Australia.Cultural Anthropology 24(2): 270-312. American Anthropological Association.
Kaplan, Danny
2009. The Songs of the Siren: Engineering National Time on Israeli Radio. Cultural Anthropology 24(2): 313-345. American Anthropological Association.
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