CAROLINE MITCHELL, Co-initiator of Fem FM with Trish Caverly, a Professor (PhD) of Radio, Researcher, Women’s Community Radio Activist, UK
Women on the Global Community Airwaves
Women on the global community airwaves is a podcast series bringing you stories told by women around the world working to strengthen women’s voices on airwaves within their own community media. The stories are brought to you by me, Birgitte Jallov, who have worked with these issues for a lifetime. The women tell about why it is so important that women get a voice and what it means for the producers, the listeners and the community contributing. Much more here →
Professor (PhD) of radio, researcher, networker and beyond and above all a feminist activist, Caroline Mitchell has since she joined ‘Women’s Airwaves’ worked to turn her professional and social engagement real, through strengthening women and women’s voices with a focus to ensure space, justice and empowerment for and of women. Fem FM – an 8-day radio licence in 1992 – co-created by Caroline and Trish Caverly, was planned for a year, housed in a borrowed 4-storey building, filled with the 200 women (two hundred women, Caroline insists) who had taken holidays or in other ways made the dream of a lifetime come true: UK’s first all women’s radio station.
In this podcast Caroline tells about Fem FM and all that followed – and she shares towards the end of the interview her advice on the non-negotiables when wanting to ensure a proper space for women in a new – or existing – community radio station.
Caroline is Professor of Radio and Participation at University of Sunderland, UK. Her research and practice are centred on community media production and cultures of transnational community radio and women’s/feminist radio. She specialises in using mapping and participatory action research methods. Caroline has published widely about women and radio, including the edited volume ‘Women and Radio: Airing Differences’, (Routledge, 2000).
Research and stories about women in Community Radio in the UK
In the interview Caroline mentions some background stories.
Some of them are here:
Diverse production company
Broccoli Productions
Equality in Audio
Manchester based women’s research project: ‘Women on the Mic’
Manchester – 9 minute wonderful video.
Credits: Dr Annette Rimmer; Radio Producer & Lecturer; University of Manchester; Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL
Rimmer, A. & The Radio Research Group (2021)
Radio Activism: Breaking the Silence and Empowering Women,London: Routledge
Breaking the Silence Community Radio Women and Empowerment
