Girls get a voice on regional radio : a Rockhampton case study

Rockhampton, Central Queensland, has three major ‘players’ in the FM radio stakes. These are Triple J (commenced broadcasting into Rockhampton in 1996), Sea FM and Hot FM (commenced broadcasting into Rockhampton in 2000/2001). These three stations currently attract the vast majority of Central Queensland’s radio audience in the 17 - 39 year age bracket. Triple J was overwhelmingly popular as the only youth/rock oriented FM station in the Rockhampton and Gladstone area (Ames 1997). However, Triple J’s traditional alliance with rock/masculine, influences how its presenters interact with their predominantly male audience. The approach by commercial FM stations is very different, and based on a content and discourse analysis of breakfast shows of all three stations, this paper discusses the significance of the ‘female voice’ and associated representations in local commercial FM stations. The paper examines the relationship between announcer and audience, and the ideologies that influence this exchange. Where female voices are less evident in regional print media (Macklin 1995, p. 295), this research to date suggests that the introduction of commercial FM stations into the Rockhampton and Gladstone area has provided significant opportunity for a higher female profile in a regional media context.