Please note - Swinburne University of Technology

AM~OZ Radio Production and Criticism A
No. of hours per week: four hours
Prerequisites: AM1 02 or AM1 03 and any two
stage two media studies subjects or equivalent
Assessment: continuous
Subject aims and description
The course aims to introduce students to the theory and
practice of radio in Australia. Students are introduced to the
theoretical constructs and debates which have directed the
development of government policy, radio content and
programming. We also examine the historical factors which
have helped to shape the radio industry in Australia. We
consider the impact that radio has had on the lives of both
communities and individuals during the past seventy years.
We examine those aspects of radio which have set it apart
from other media - its ephemeral quality, its reliance on
orality and its intimate relationship to its audience. For
example, Potts in Radio in Australia argues that any human
society establishes itself by imposing form on the world of
natural noise. He points out that the aural space occupied by
radio has continually shrunk throughout the twentieth
century to the point where the complete privatisation of
sound via the Walkman has rendered sound consistent with
the individualisation of post-industrial society. Other theorists,
such as Marshall McLuhan, saw radio as having the ability to
'tribalise' its listeners making it a potential agent for great
political change. We examine these and other theories as
they relate to the radio medium itself.
Finally AM302 is a production course and aims to equip
students with the skills necessary for successful participation
in radio production - sound recording, editing, panel
operation, voice production and interviewing are all covered.
While the acquisition of production skills is an essential part
of the course, the broader context of how those skills can be
applied is always kept in mind.
Textbook
Swinburne Radio Production Notes, 1990. Hawthorn, Vic.,
Swinburne Press, 1990.
References
Arnheim, R. Radio. New York, Da Capo, 1972
Brecht, 5. Radio as a Means of Communication. Screen V20, Nos. 314
Crisell, A. Understanding Radio. London, Methuen, 1986
Enzensberger, H.M. Constituents of a theory of the media in
The Consciousness Industry New York, Seaburg Press, 1974
Foucault, M. The Archeology of Knowledge and the Discourse on
Language. New York, Pantheon Books, 1972
Hicks, M. Radio on Radio. Swinburne, 1985 (Audio Tapes)
Hood, S. Brecht on Radio. Screen VZO, Nos. 314
Johnson, L. The Unseen Voice. London, Routledge. 1988
Ong, W. Orality and Literacy London, Methuen, 1982
~ ~ 3 0 Radio 3 Production and Criticism B
No. of hours per week: four hours
Prerequisites: AM1 02 or AM1 03 and AM302,
and any two stage two media studies subjects or
equivalent
Assessment: continuous
Subject aims and description
This course aims to extend the knowledge gained by
students in AM302 and allows students the opportunity to
both apply and extend their radio production skills. Building
on the skills developed in the previous semester's work,
students are involved in the production of documentary
programs with the aim of securing broadcast airtime on one
of Melbourne's public radio stations. Students work in close
contact with the producers from 3222, 3PBS, 3RRR, Public
Radio News and various other community stations.
The emphasis of this course is on praxis - students are
encouraged to apply the theoretical knowledge of radio
textual analysis to their own productions and are encouraged
to constantly review their own and other's work with
reference to the theoretical constructs examined in AM302.
They are also expected to keep abreast of changes and
developments in the radio industry.
Textbook
Swinburne Radio Production Notes, 1990, Hawthorn, Vic.,
Swinburne Press, 1990
References
As for AM302
~ ~ 3 0 Professional 6
Attachment Program
Fifteen days
Equivalent value -one semester subject
Prerequisites: five media studies subjects
Assessment: continuous. AM306 is a passlfail
only subject.
This subject is available during semester two to a limited
number of students. Those selected will be attached, after
consultation, to a variety of media organisations. There they
will be required to work under the direction of the
supervising staff member. The program will be overseen by a
member of the Swinburne media studies staff, and students
will be required to keep a diary account of their attachment.
~ ~ 3 0 Information 7
Society: Promises
and Policies
No. of hours per week: three hours
Prerequisites: AM 102, AM1 03 and two stage
two media studies subjects or equivalent
Assessment: continuous
Subject aims and description
This subject is an examination of media and communications
in the context of a post-industrial or information society.
Key questions about the contemporary technological
revolution are addressed, such as who decides about new
technologies, and how, whose interests are served, how
national policies are fashioned, and whose information needs
will be met by these technologies of abundance. Crucial here
is a variety of political, social and ethical issues, including
vexed territory such as ownership and control of information
systems, privatisation and de-regulation of broadcasting and
telecommunications, corporate and community information
systems and international information transfer. Considerable
emphasis is placed on the methodology of investigation,
analysis of reDorts and aovernment inauiries. and the
presentation of data a6
information. students are
encouraged to present their work in a form that will enable it
to be available to the community.