CICD's 'Alternative News'
Every Sunday, 9:15 – 9:30 am.
'Alternative News' program celebrated its 40th Anniversary on Melbourne's Community Radio 3CR on November 12, 2017.
A brief history of the Campaign for International
Co-operation
& Disarmament
(CICD)
The
Australian and New Zealand Congress for International Co-operation and
Disarmament, later known as the Congress for International Cooperation and
Disarmament (CICD), and after circa 1987 as the Campaign for International
Co-operation and Disarmament, was established at an international Peace
Congress in Melbourne in 1959.
It was set
up to support the ideals of the World Congress for Disarmament and
International Co-operation held in Stockholm in 1958. The ANZCICD congress of
1959 was the broadest-based peace congress up to that time, and laid the
foundation for an ongoing organisation tapping new
avenues of support.
In
Victoria, there had been a long history of peace activities and campaigns
including those against conscription during the First World War and the Council
against War and Fascism before the Second World War.
One such organisation was
the Victorian Peace Council which was instrumental in organising the ANZCICD
congress. VPC disbanded soon after, leaving only its Research and Information
Centre which existed until 1964.
Since
1959, CICD has been playing an outstanding role in the struggle for peace,
against nuclear weapons and for disarmament, acting most notably as a co-ordinating facility for anti-Vietnam war protests, especially
the 1970-1972 Moratorium Campaigns.
Its
members have also been active in campaigns as extensive as the anti-Omega
military base protests, against French nuclear testing in the Pacific and for nuclear-free Pacific campaigns, Hiroshima (CICD was also the hub of the "No More
Hiroshimas" Coalition in the 1990s), Palm Sunday, anti-Cold War, and supporting the
peoples of Bougainville, East Timor and West Papua, and others.
CICD seeks
to foster an informed and active public opinion on issues relating to peace and
international co-operation, and continues its campaign for an independent
foreign policy for Australia, removal of foreign bases from Australian soil and
around the world, a world without war, disarmament and social justice.
CICD has
always relied on the support of many hundreds of members and affiliated
organisations (trade unions, local peace groups, church, women’s and student
groups).
CICD’s
radio program Alternative News has been one of our principle campaign tools, starting on ABC Access Radio 3ZZ in 1975.
The
beginning of ethnic broadcasting in Australia goes back to 1973. In 1974
the Whitlam Labour government’s Media Department put forward a couple of
proposals for establishing ethnic-only radio stations.
In a
related experiment the ABC was licensed in 1975 to run two experimental
stations - 2JJ in Sydney as a youth music station and 3ZZ in Melbourne as a
community access station.
Access
Radio station 3ZZ commenced transmission on 12 May 1975. 3ZZ
started broadcasting in over 40 languages and had ridden many storms that
threatened its survival.
Alternative
News began in the first week of 3ZZ’s transmission and was one of the
longest-running weekly programmes. It consistently rated very highly for the
station.
Ann Baker
co-produced Alternative News with Bruce McPhie for a year on 3ZZ. Pauline
Mitchell joined Bruce on 3ZZ when Ann left in 1976. Pauline and
Bruce did Alternative News for a year when it went over to 3CR in
1977. Bruce left in 1978 and Pauline continued it on her own.
Bruce was
the CICD representative on the English language programming board when Alternative News was on
3ZZ.
3CR was
broadcasting concurrently with 3ZZ for a year. 3CR commenced full-scale operation
on 3 July 1976 and 3ZZ went off the air on the morning of 16 July 1977.
3ZZ and
3CR shared content including Alternative News. When 3ZZ faced
closure 3CR lobbied on its behalf, broadcasting protest meetings and special
events in support of it remaining on air.
ABC
Commissioner Concetta Benn commented that the Fraser government shut the
station down “because of 3ZZ’s role in uniting and providing resources to
community groups, and because ordinary people began to believe they could
produce change in society…” 3ZZ did its job too well!
3ZZ was
closed against the wishes of the community, the State Government, the ABC and
the users of the station.
The ethnic
communities from across the socio-political spectrum vigorously protested the
closure of 3ZZ by the Fraser government in 1977.
The
depth and passion of the ethnic communities for 3ZZ, and in general for ethnic
broadcasting can be illustrated by the thousands who joined up as members,
hundreds who served as broadcasters and committee members, hundreds of
thousands of dollars contributed to radiothons and campaigns to protect and
develop ethnic broadcasting.
3ZZ became
an everyday issue and concern for the ethnic community. Excitement and
expectation were very high. With the closure of 3ZZ, the community worked
tirelessly to accommodate ethnic programs in 3CR, and later played a
significant role in the establishment of 3ZZZ whilst fighting to maintain and democratise SBS
Radio.
3ZZ had
set the foundations for community involvement and management that ultimately
carried through to 3ZZZ and all community broadcasting.
Bruce
McPhie is a multi-talented activist and was a hardworking and valuable asset to
CICD when he was working there (1972-1978). He had considerable graphic design
and writing skills, and was a natural on radio. When he moved to the
country he continued on radio on Omeo Community Access Radio in 1992.
His
political understanding of the world was, and is, outstanding and advanced the
antiimperialist peace aims of CICD.
Bruce
continues to be an asset to CICD via his prolific blog writing on the state of
the world. CICD shares many of his blogs and Facebook posts on its social
media and in its newsletters. Bruce and CICD are in regular contact
and Bruce’s opinions are often sought and valued by the CICD Committee.
Pauline
presented Alternative News on 3ZZ with Bruce and then 3CR from 1976 until her death
on Wednesday 20th March 2013. On the Wednesday that she
died, Pauline was researching for the next program.
In the 37
years that Alternative News went to air, Pauline rarely missed a broadcast –
even when she was sick or tired.
Jan
Bartlett interviewed Pauline Mitchell for CICD’s 50th anniversary
in 2009 which was aired again over a period of time after Pauline’s
passing. It’s available on 3CR’s website.
Alternative
News was also broadcast for a time on a Gippsland radio station on a regular
basis in 1989.
When live
web streaming was introduced in 3CR in 2007, Alternative News was one of the
first four programs chosen to be podcast.
Alternative
News re-started broadcasting on a weekly basis with new presenters Romina
Beitseen and Andrew Irving from 22 December 2013.
The first
program relaunched by CICD’s Secretary Romina on 22 December was dedicated in
memory of Pauline. Kisten McCandless (Pauline’s daughter), was invited to talk
about her mother’s lifelong commitment and contribution to the peace movement
and her remarkable job producing and presenting Alternative News over the
decades.
The
complete collection of transcripts of Alternative News from 1975 to March 2013 in the University of Melbourne Archives
show a snapshot of the world, especially the evolution of Australia’s protest
movements, during that period. It is a rich and thorough reportage
of social and radical issues of the time.
Alternative
News continues to present news and views on a diverse range of issues - news
that is not covered by the mainstream media.
Campaign International
Co-operation and Disarmament
(C.I.C.D.):
Box 66, 54 Victoria Street, Trades Hall -
Carlton South, 3053 Australia.
Tel: (03)
9663 3677,
peacecenter@cicd.org.au www.cicd.org.au
