Multilingual Programs on Victorian Radio

Abstract

Although the last eight or nine years have seen a considerable expansion in the provision of multilingual services, the ethnic audience still seems to suffer an element of under-representation in all three sectors of radio broadcasting. This paper examines the situation relating to the provision of programs in community languages other than English transmitted by radio broadcasting stations in Victoria. Data relating to stations, languages, hours broadcast and program content are presented together with a detailed comparative description of these items and of the different operative structures relating to the provision of multilingual programming in the three sectors of broadcasting where ‘ethnic’ radio seems to be regarded as a somewhat second class service.