I play music, badly, but that is not what this is about.
This is about the work I do as an audio producer, podcaster and radio host.
I stumbled into radio in early 2013 when some friends of mine invited me onto their community radio show.
I loved it!
So I talked my friend Robyn Walton into starting an arts show called Art Swank which we ran together for three years.
Radio quickly consumed my life. Since then I’ve worked on several small projects including with the local indigenous community, explorations of gender, and a series working with the Bendigo CNV on raising awareness about family violence.
I was Content Producer for MAINfm for two years from 2015 – 2017. In that time I not only made content for MAINfm but also worked on community engagement, helped with fundraising, and facilitated presenters in making and sharing content.
At the moment all my energy is going into the ongoing series Saltgrass about a communities response to the climate crisis.
An ongoing show that features in depth interviews about local action on the climate emergency. A mix of stories from activists, farmers, schools, artists, businesses, community groups and concerned citizens.
In 2021 Saltgrass was listed by the New York Times as one of the top 5 climate podcasts and was also a finalist in the Jackson Wild Awards.
Produced in 2018 it was an eight part series looking at local initiatives that focus on environment and climate change. It was funded by the Mount Alexander Shire Council and acted as a pilot project for Saltgrass.
Special Series created with Uncle Rick Nelsonover 2015-16. It aired in 2016 as a weekly 10 min segment on Grey Matters, hosted by Bruce Carruthers on MAINfm. They are now available to listen to on the Saltgrass website. This series was funded by the Mount Alexander Shire Council’s community grant scheme.
A one hour arts show that ran 7-8pm on Monday nights with co-host Robyn Walton from Jan 2013 – Dec 2015. The show still exists, now on Sundays at 10am with new presenters.
From March 2014 to March 2015 the Breakfast Club ran from 6.30-8.30 weekday mornings on MAINfm 94.9. Alison was the host four mornings a week with co-hosts Angus Read-Hill, Hugh Burton, Alice Steel, Frank Forster and Sharon Soldatos. It was a mix of local news, interesting facts, and banter. The show was supported by a grant from the CBF and unfortunately we were unable to secure a second round.
Preventing Violence Against Women
Special Series – 2014.
It included community service announcements, five x10min segments and a one hour feature. The series utilised the stories of women who have survived violent relationships and the voices of many experts in the field. It went to air on the 25th of November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. It was funded by the Mount Alexander Shire Council and The Centre for Non-Violence. It was also supported by Liz Stringer who generously allowed the use of her song ‘Lady Luck’.
Unfortunately there are no links or ways to listen to this series. The contract with the CNV stated that it was for local radio only and not to be repeated. The series contained personal stories from survivors of family violence. It is for their protection that the series was not made more widely available.
XYnot
A show about gender in 2015 with co-hosts Helen and Tim. It ran for 13 episodes on MAINfm.
Alison Hanly 