Congratulations to Dr Christina Spurgeon, who is the winner of the Michael Law Award at the 2020 CBAA Community Radio Awards!
The Michael Law Award recognises an individual who has made a sustained and outstanding contribution to the community broadcasting sector.
Christina was a director of the Community Media Training Organisation from 2011-2020 and was in the position of Chair for the majority of that period. Christina was instrumental in developing a strategic plan for the organisation that focussed on diversity including improving access for people with a disability to CMTO training programs. Christina leaves a legacy of good governance, leading the recruitment of independent board members ensuring CMTO board’s sustainability.
Dr Christina Spurgeon is currently a Senior Lecturer in Media and Communication at the Queensland University of Technology.
She has an enduring interest in the principles and practices of public access and participation in media and communications services, industries and public policy.
This interest is reflected in a long and varied history of association with the community broadcasting sector. From volunteer program maker and cadet journalist at 2SERFM in the early 1980s to Co-chair of community TV licensee LINC TV in the late 1990s, Christina advocated for sector diversity and spectrum access, including a submission to the Productivity Commission’s Review of broadcasting legislation in 1999.
Christina has also served on the Board of the CBAA, and the CBAA’s Standing Committee on Community Television. She was directly involved in lobbying activities that aimed to secure spectrum for community television in the transition from analogue to digital delivery platforms.
Between 1999 and 2003 Christina also led another collaborative research partnership involving QUT, the CBAA, Briz 31, and the Australian Research Council. This project had a research training focus and generated excellent outcomes for all participants and made important and original contributions to policy debates about the role of quasi-market organisations such as community television in diverse media systems, and to participatory democracy.
The partnership also led to the establishment of the Academic Stream of the CBAA’s annual conference, and 3CMedia: Journal of Community, Citizen’s, and Third Sector Media, as scholarly e-journal that seeks to connect researchers, community media practitioners and the non-government organisation (NGO) sector. 3CMedia is published by the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia.
In addition to being founding editor of 3CMedia Christina also serves on the editorial board of Australia’s leading media studies journal, Media International Australia. Her areas of research and teaching expertise include the implications of new media for media and communication industries and public policy.
Her book, Advertising and New Media, published was by Routledge in 2008.
Michael Law was the inaugural President of the Public Broadcasting Association of Australia (now known as the CBAA) in 1974. He is recognised as one of the key founders of community broadcasting in Australia, presiding over the emergence of our diverse and innovative media sector.