For such a powerful and all-pervasive medium, the world of talkback radio has surprisingly been glossed over by researchers.
But that is all about to change as Professor Graeme Turner, the director of the Centre for Critical and Cultural Studies at The University of Queensland, looks at the history, the hosts, the politics and the listeners that make this such a popular form of radio.
"For many years it was assumed that radio was declining in importance," Professor Turner said.
"Now, nobody thinks that.
"Everyone recognises the tremendous influence talkback has and as such it has become the format of choice for politicians around the country."
Professor Turner will speak about talkback radio at the 2020 Vision Public Lecture that is part of UQ's Research Week celebrations on Monday, September 22 at 7pm, at the UQ Centre.
Listen to Professor Graeme Turner's speech (MP3 format: 18Mb)
The lecture, which will also feature Dr Julie Campbell speaking on the topic of tissue engineering, highlights the work of UQ researchers to the general public.
Listen to Professor Julie Campbell's speech (MP3 format: 18Mb)
Professor Turner, a long-time researcher of the media, has a special fondness for radio having been a presenter himself on community radio in Perth.
"But I moved away from radio and focused on television in my studies. Over the last few years I've been coming back to radio as I realised the political impact it can have," he said.
As part of an Australian Research Council grant Professor Turner received last year, he has spent the past 12 months researching the history of talk back radio right up until today.
"It was interesting to find out that talk back didn't really hit its straps until about the 80s," he said.
"Broadcasting telephone calls was illegal until the 60s but talkback didn't really hit its straps until about 15 years after that.
"With the rise of FM stations in the 80s, music became a less attractive format for the AM band and talkback really became the only viable form of commercial programming."
He said after compiling his history, which he hopes to publish in a series of articles, the next stage of the research would be to tape sample material and then compare their treatment of the issues with other media outlets.
"Talkback gives stories another twist and can often keep an issue going for a while," he said.
"And the power of these shows is that they can set the agenda and create news as well.
"Politicians love going on them as they are given a pretty easy run.
"Talkback hosts are not journalists usually and politicians are often forewarned about questions so it's more relaxed. The real virtue of the format for the politician is that they can bypass the journalist and talk directly to people."
Professor Turner is then hoping to interview both the presenters and producers of the shows to get their impressions and even get to talk to the listeners and find the ultimate answer.
"I want to know what function talkback serves for the listener," he said.
"They spend a lot of time listening to these programs so I want to know what the appeal is."
Anyone wishing to attend the 2020 Vision Public Lecture on September 22, can contact Anna Roberts to book a seat on 07 3365 3159 or email anna.roberts@uq.edu.au
Media: For more information contact Graeme Turner (telephone 07 3365 7183) or Andrew Dunne at UQ Communications (telephone 07 3365 2802).
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