I " A I WOMEN, CULTU AND COMMUNITY ACCESS BRO CASTING A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Canterbury by Rowan Mary Jeffrey Gender Studies University of Canterbury 2004 Abstract This research is a case study of the participation of women at Plains FM 96.9, one of eleven non-profit, community owned and operated community access radio stations in AotearoalNew Zealand. Located in Christchurch city, Plains FM broadcasts community-produced programming in twenty different languages to the Canterbury region. As a community access station, it is committed to meeting community development objectives through the provision of access to the airwaves for groups that are underserved by mainstream media. In this thesis, I locate Plains FM within the wider historical and discursive context of the AotearoalNew Zealand medias cape and draw upon theories of communications, community development, social movements and feminist post- structuralism in order to examine the transformative potential of the station and the ongoing complex challenges that it faces. Drawing on analysis of interviews with fifty-one women at Plains FM, I explore the ways in which diverse women participants make sense of the station, their involvement within it, and its impact upon their communities. In particular, I highlight women participants' construction of Plains FM as a vehicle for access into the public sphere and for reworking hegemonic boundaries of inclusion/exclusion in both the media/broadcasting and social/cultural realms. I also explore the ways in which boundaries of inclusion/exclusion are negotiated within the station itself and highlight some of the challenges the station faces in its attempt to be an inclusive, diverse and empowering organisation. While this study focuses on one community media venture within a specific historical and discursive context, it contributes to the international body of theory of alternative media practice by offering rich insights into the symbolic challenges that community access media can generate and the complex process of attempting to create and sustain an alternative community development-driven media operation. Acknowledgements Researching and writing this thesis has been one of the most personally challenging and stimulating journeys on which I have ever embarked. At the best of times and the worst of times (the nail-biting anxieties and "are we there yet" moments) along the way I have been blessed with wonderful contributors, supporters and travelling companions. Without the staff, broadcasters and many other participants at Plains FM, there would have been no journey. My heartfelt thanks go to all at Plains who have contributed to this research by being interviewed, by supporting my development as a broadcaster, by working with me on radio shows, by reading and commenting on my work, by talking through issues arising from the research, and simply by participating at Plains FM and sustaining it as a community organisation. Particular thanks to our wonderful radio group and to Ann Charlotte for reading and offering feedback on my work. I am grateful to my principal supervisor Julie Wuthnow for her faith in me and the worth of my research topic, for her recommendation to turn what began as a Master's thesis into a PhD, and for her perseverance and unswerving confidence in my ability to complete what became a much larger and longer project than either of us envisioned. A special thank you also to my second supervisor Jessica Johnston, for jumping so enthusiastically on board mid-trip and injecting a fresh perspective and sharp eye to the writing process. To both Js, thank you for your thoughtful commentary, creative suggestions and constructive challenges, and for the sometimes rowdy therapeutic laughter at our meetings (yes, supervision can be fun!). Appreciations also to the other staff in the Gender Studies Department (Sara, Tiina, Annie and Nabila) who tolerated those noisy meetings so well and who offered welcome and timely words of encouragement along the way. Special mention must go to Julie Duthie, whose enthusiastic, unflappable and generous nature has warmed many a day. Also to my wonderful officemates and fellow thesis-travellers: Naomi Wilde, Lee Thompson, Jo Cobley, Cj Wells, Iris Duhn, Geraldine Treacher and Ruth Surtees. Particular thanks to Lee for our energising coffee sessions (or supervisions?) . For financial support, I am grateful to the New Horizons for Women Trust who awarded me the Society for Research on Women Research Award in 2000 and to the Gender Studies Department at the University of Canterbury for conference and fees grants. Warmest thanks to my parents for instilling in me a love of education, and to dearest friends, Cint, Gae, Jan and Lianne, for your unfailing love and support, and for happy days and evenings together, where I could forget my work and eat, drink and relax with you. Lastly, and most importantly, my deepest gratitude goes to Natalie, thesis supporter and assistant extraordinaire. Your interest, enthusiasm and suggestions have contributed in immeasurable ways to this research, as have your proofreading, reference checking, typing, formatting, cooking, supermarket shopping, takeaway buying, and dog-minding. Your good-humour, generosity and support have enabled me to complete and make the most of this thesis journey. Table of Contents Abstract Acknowledgments A Personal Preface 1 Part One Positionings, Particulars and Research Process 4 Chapter 1 Introduction: Positioning Plains FM 5 Plains FM: Particulars 7 Community Media: The Global Context 10 Broadcasting in AotearoalNew Zealand: A History of Community Exclusion 12 Early radio broadcasting 1903 -1935: the "plaything of politicians" 12 1935 -1961: "public servant broadcasting" 13 1962 - 1980s: "pseudo" public service and commercial competition 18 1984 and beyond: broadcasting in a "free" market 19 From dissatisfaction to action 21 NZOA: cultural saviour? 21 Community + Access = Alternative Radio? 24 Plains FM : A "Different" and "Better" Broadcaster? 27 Why Study Plains FM? 28 Thesis Map 30 Chapter 2 Researching Plains: Positioning the Project 33 Introduction 33 Theoretical Grounding: feminist post-structuralism 34 Discourse and subjectivity 37 The role of experience 39 Diversity and the representation of Others 41 Methodlologies: Reflexivity, Process and Writing Practice 44 Researcher positioning 44 Research details 46 Data analysis 51 Questions of power, ethics and authority 57 Conclusion 61 Part Two The Plains FM "Magic": Transforming Radio 63 Prelude Plains FM: A Birthing Place 64 Chapter 3 From Consumers to Producers: Women Broadcasting at Plains FM 71 Introduction 71 Theoretical Context: Women, Media and the Public Sphere 73 Media and the public sphere 74 Women at Plains FM: Resisting Media Exclusion 77 Breaking the "professional" barrier 78 Freeing speech: valorising "inferior" voices 85 Becoming news "worthy" 96 Tackling technology 106 Conclusion 113 Chapter 4 Information, Identity, and Empowerment: Claiming Cultural Citizenship 116 Introduction 116 Theoretical Context: Nationhood, Identity and the Media 119 Constructing the New Zealand nation: ideals and undesirables 122 Broadcasting at Plains FM: Challenging Insider/Outsider Boundaries 127 Claiming public identity: "Here we are, here we are" 129 Enabling access and participation: "Infonnation is power" 135 Resisting, challenging, educating: "Oh, these are real people" 144 Building social capital: "The network is getting stronger" 151 Claiming cultural citizenship: "We are part of you now" 160 Part Three Organisational Dynamics and Dilemmas: Sustaining the Station 168 Chapter 5 The Plains FM "Family": Negotiating Insider/Outsider Tensions 169 Introduction: The Politics of Participation 169 The Plains FM "Family": Metaphors of Belonging 171 Programme Making at Plains: Participatory Hurdles 174 Valid voices? Participation as Representation 183 Who speaks? Who decides? 187 "Treading on Toes": Participation as Possession 192 "Family" Problems: Negotiating Insider/Outsider Tensions 197 Conclusion 203 Chapter 6 Facing the Future: Staying "Open" and Staying "True" 205 Introduction 205 An Australian Experience 206 Hybrid Tensions: Professionalism at Plains FM 208 Media professionalism: context 208 Professionalism at Plains FM: broadcaster perspectives 210 Defining professionalism: staff perspectives 214 Facing the Future: Dilemmas and Threats 220 Professionalism and technology 220 Professionalism and funding 225 Valuing community in a "marketized" world 229 Conclusion 233 Conclusion 236 References 248 Appendices 266 1 Plains FM Programme Schedule 267 2 Plains FM Ethnic Programme Schedule 269 3 Research Project Infonnation Sheet 271 4 Interview Consent Fonn 272 5 Interview Questions for Broadcasters 273 6 Interview Questions for Staff Members 274 1 A Personal Preface February 1998 I am a teacher of English and Media Studies, recently returned to my job at a large rural secondary school after a year's leave studying journalism at university. Fuelled with enthusiasm from the break and eager to enhance my Sixth Form Certificate Media Studies programme, I ask the Christchurch community access radio station, Plains FM, to help me set up and run a short term radio station from the school. Plains has recently begun offering a service using their 'mobile studio' where, instead of teachers like myself taking media students into their Christchurch studio to make stand-alone programmes, students develop