Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association Facts for Kids

The Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association (CAAMA) is a special group that started in 1980. Its main goal was to share Aboriginal music and culture with everyone in Australia. CAAMA began with 8KIN-FM, which was the very first Aboriginal radio station in the country.

Based in Alice Springs, CAAMA makes sure that local Indigenous people are deeply involved in creating its radio shows, TV programs, and music. CAAMA works in radio, television, and recording music.

History
- How CAAMA Started and Imparja TV
- CAAMA in the 21st Century
Services
Notable People
See also

History

How CAAMA Started and Imparja TV

CAAMA began in 1980 as a public radio station. It was founded by two Aboriginal people, Freda Glynn and John Macumba, along with Phillip Batty. Their station, 8KIN-FM, was the first Aboriginal radio station ever.

The radio station quickly became very popular. It started playing different kinds of music, like country music and Aboriginal rock. Listeners could call in, and there were discussions and news programs. CAAMA broadcast in six different Aboriginal languages, plus English, for about fifteen hours every day. Later, the station expanded to AM and short-wave radio. They offered educational programs, live recordings of Aboriginal bands, and ads for local Aboriginal businesses. In 1984, CAAMA even started a video newsletter. This was sent to communities that couldn't easily get radio signals.

In 1986, CAAMA got a special license for a regional commercial television service. This happened because people were worried that Australia's first satellite, AUSSAT, might harm Aboriginal languages and cultures in Central Australia. CAAMA wanted to make sure Aboriginal voices were heard on TV. In January 1988, CAAMA launched its own private TV station called Imparja. It started broadcasting to over 100,000 viewers in Central Australia.

Imparja TV helped show more Aboriginal identity on Australian television. The station was very important for creating shows that helped keep Aboriginal culture alive. For example, Nganampa-Anwernekenbe [Ours] was the first TV show made entirely in an Indigenous language. It had English subtitles and showed Aboriginal culture through stories, performances, and visual arts. Imparja also aired public service ads that promoted healthy living in a way that respected Aboriginal culture. In 1991, they helped create a series of films made by or about Aboriginal people.

In the early years of Imparja, some people worried that regular TV shows might take over the local content. Others felt there weren't enough Aboriginal people on Imparja's programs. Even though Imparja was the biggest Aboriginal-owned TV company, only about 10% of its staff were Aboriginal in 1993. Some also worried about the quality of broadcasts. An American expert, Faye Ginsburg, thought that new communication technology might change how older and younger generations connected and how traditional knowledge was respected.

However, CAAMA's approach, using many types of media, has made Aboriginal media a key part of Australia's media scene. It has also helped the social, cultural, and economic growth of Aboriginal people in remote areas. CAAMA's employment policies show this success. Faye Ginsburg wrote in 1994 that Aboriginal media products are as varied as Aboriginal life itself. They include low-budget videos made by local groups, educational videos, documentaries for national TV, and even feature films by Aboriginal artists.

CAAMA in the 21st Century

In 2005, CAAMA shared a report about how to help Indigenous people find jobs. They used their own success as an example. CAAMA highlighted important points like skills training, funding, and helping young people find work. They also stressed the need to connect education with training and build strong links between different groups.

The report showed how CAAMA had helped train and employ Aboriginal people in Central Australia. For 25 years, CAAMA had a policy to hire Aboriginal staff, with 65% of their employees being Aboriginal. CAAMA also helped educate over 100 Indigenous people. They said their success came from government support, understanding Aboriginal social and cultural issues, and offering a flexible learning environment.

In 2009, CAAMA made a plan to become more self-sufficient and rely less on government money. They also looked for new chances in digital media and other related services.

In March 2020, CAAMA faced financial difficulties. By August 2021, the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations expected CAAMA to be back on track. Their stations, which now serve seven communities, were making a profit again. CAAMA still had some debts, but they were working to pay them off.

Services

CAAMA Radio

CAAMA Radio started as 8KIN-FM in 1980–81. It was the first Aboriginal radio station in Australia.

Today, CAAMA Radio provides twenty-four hours of Indigenous radio programs. It reaches over 600,000 people across Australia. Since 1981, it has been the largest Aboriginal media group in the country. CAAMA broadcasts to 12 Remote Aboriginal Communities Services (RIBS) and uses a mobile broadcasting truck. This brings radio to many remote Aboriginal communities in over 30 different languages. Some of these communities include Papunya, Ntaria (Hermannsburg), Ltyentye Apurte (Santa Teresa), and Areyonga.

Film and Television Production

CAAMA Productions Pty Ltd is a major Indigenous-owned production company in Australia. They create programs about Indigenous cultures, lifestyles, and important issues. Some of CAAMA's award-winning productions include:

My Colour Your Kind (1998): A short film about a young Aboriginal albino girl's journey.
Cold Turkey (2003): A film about two brothers, Shane and Robby, and how their relationship changes.
Green Bush (2005): The story of a local radio DJ named Kenny and his audience, who are prison inmates.
Double Trouble (Australian TV series) (2007): This was the first children's TV show produced by Aboriginal people. It was shown on Nine Network and the Disney Channel.
Samson and Delilah (2009): A drama film co-produced with Scarlett Pictures. It was directed by Warwick Thornton and starred young actors Rowan McNamara and Marissa Gibson. The film won the 'Gold Camera Award' at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival for best first feature film. It also won the Asia Pacific Screen Award for Best Film in 2009.

Music

CAAMA Music is a record label that records most of its songs in Indigenous languages. CAAMA has organized popular music events, with people traveling from far away to attend. One recent event, the Yeperenye Festival, attracted 30,000 people. Musicians like Gawurra and Alice Skye, who record with CAAMA, are also seen on Imparja, SBS, and ABC television. CAAMA Music also works with CAAMA Radio to broadcast live performances by Aboriginal musicians.

Notable People

Many talented Indigenous people have trained at CAAMA. These include Erica Glynn, who later guided young filmmakers in the 1990s. Some of these filmmakers were Beck Cole, Danielle MacLean, Warwick Thornton, Steven McGregor, David Jowsey, and sound recordist/director David Tranter.

Other notable people who spent time at CAAMA include Rachel Perkins; Alan Collins, an award-winning cinematographer; Priscilla Collins, an executive producer; Peter Clarke, an online editor for Imparja Television; and Angela Bates, a journalist for SBS Television.

Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association facts for kids

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