Bush Telegraph
Encyclopedia
Bush Telegraph is a radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...

 program on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...

's Radio National
Radio National
ABC Radio National is an Australia-wide non-commercial radio network run by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.Radio National broadcasts national programming in areas that include news and current affairs, the arts, social issues, science, drama and comedy...

 network, broadcast weekdays (Monday-Friday) at 11-12am, presenting stories from rural and regional Australia.

"Bush Telegraph" is the Australian country term for the informal network which spreads news and gossip through a region of rural or outback Australia.

Format

The show presents original stories, Australian music, rural news and reports from ABC rural
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...

 reporters across Australia.

The show's on-going debates include genetically modified food, services in rural Australia, climate change and water policies.

Even though the web publication BushTelegraph predates the ABC rural program, to avoid confusion it has been renamed Workers BushTelegraph.

Specialised Programming

Bush Telegraph has run several innovative listener participation series, where listeners have been able to vote on aspects of a project through the internet site and phone-in lines.

Grow Your Own

In 2002 and early 2003, Bush Telegraph listeners voted on production of a cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....

 crop. http://www.abc.net.au/rural/grow/default.htm

Stu Higgins, a cotton farmer from Jandowae (near Chinchilla) in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...

, offered 5 acres (2 ha) of his crop. The show had weekly updates, and votes were taken on matters such as: how the crop should be fertilised, whether natural or artificial defoliant should be used.

The crop was successful, and achieved a premium price. Higgins received an award: Queensland Primary Industries Achievement Award for media and communication.

Wine on the Wireless http://www.abc.net.au/rural/telegraph/wine/default.htm

For the 2006 harvest, commencing March 2006, a grape
Grape
A grape is a non-climacteric fruit, specifically a berry, that grows on the perennial and deciduous woody vines of the genus Vitis. Grapes can be eaten raw or they can be used for making jam, juice, jelly, vinegar, wine, grape seed extracts, raisins, molasses and grape seed oil. Grapes are also...

 grower and winery
Winery
A winery is a building or property that produces wine, or a business involved in the production of wine, such as a wine company. Some wine companies own many wineries. Besides wine making equipment, larger wineries may also feature warehouses, bottling lines, laboratories, and large expanses of...

 owner, Ian Davison of Galens Tor winery near Orange, New South Wales
Orange, New South Wales
Orange is a city in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. It is west of the state capital, Sydney, at an altitude of . Orange has an estimated population of 39,329 and the city is a major provincial centre....

, has offered Shiraz grapes for two vintages:
  • a listener-decided vintage;
  • a competing vintage made by students from the Orange TAFE's oenology
    Oenology
    Oenology,[p] œnology , or enology is the science and study of all aspects of wine and winemaking except vine-growing and grape-harvesting, which is a subfield called viticulture. “Viticulture & oenology” is a common designation for training programmes and research centres that include both the...

     course.

Each group will make a barrel
Barrel
A barrel or cask is a hollow cylindrical container, traditionally made of vertical wooden staves and bound by wooden or metal hoops. Traditionally, the barrel was a standard size of measure referring to a set capacity or weight of a given commodity. A small barrel is called a keg.For example, a...

of Shiraz wine with the help of professional winemakers, with professional judges deciding on the outcome. Listeners will be able to buy bottles of each wine and decide for themselves.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK