Vic Government launches female-led sports radio show
The Victorian Government’s Office for Women in Sport and Recreation has collaborated with Broad Radio to launch a four-part weekly sports series, in a bid to break barriers within the sports broadcasting landscape.
Play Big will air next Saturday, March 15 for four weeks, hosted by gender equality campaigner and Outer Sanctum host, Emma Race, Broad Radio’s Rana Hussain, as well as a panel of established and emerging commentators.
It aims to elevate women’s voices in sports broadcasting; Broad Radio reasons that women’s sport is breaking records, and so too should the people reporting on it.
Emma Race
Jo Stanley, founder and CEO of Broad Radio, said for too long, women’s voices have struggled to be heard in sports broadcasting.
“We’ve seen recently a clear demand from audiences for respectful and celebratory discussion about women’s sport,” she said.
“Women’s sport is thriving, stadiums are full, and the appetite for intelligent, passionate and insightful commentary has never been stronger. It’s time for a new era where women don’t just play sport – they lead it, call it, analyse it and celebrate it.”
Recently released research from the Victorian Government found that just 23% of bylines in radio sports news were attributed to women.
Minister for Community Sport, Ros Spence, hopes Play Big will change this, and create a space for women to see and to be seen, from the community and grassroots level, all the way to elite sport.
“When women and girls see themselves in sports media – not just as athletes, but as experts, commentators and analysts – it sends a powerful message that they belong at all levels of the game,” the Minister said.
The show will air Saturdays 9am-11am on Broad Radio. Episodes will be repurposed into podcasts, and featured on Broad Radio’s platforms, as well as the Government’s Change Our Game website.
Episodes will feature athletes, trailblazers, and fans, with the aim of proving that women’s sport is here to stay.
“Women’s voices, ideas and passion for sport can sound and feel really different to what we usually hear on live radio,” said host Emma Race.
“I am so excited we have a place to celebrate and interrogate that.”
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Lauren McNamara is the associate editor at Mumbrella, covering the creative and PR beat. She joined in November 2022 as editorial assistant, after completing a Bachelor of Communications (Journalism) at UTS.
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topics
Broad Radio
Emma Race
International Women's Day
jo stanley
Office for Women in Sport and Recreation
Play Big
Rana Hussain
Ros Spence
Victorian government
women
You’ve got Emma Race, a super talented broadcaster, and the Vic Gov, why is this not 40 weeks?! How is 4 weeks of programming (on Saturday morning 9-11?!) going to be delivering any kind of results? Even with all the cut up episodes in different places this isn’t even a band-aid solution and will deliver poor results — but good for you that the box has been ticked! A press release has been delivered!
Long term change? um…….. forgot about that.
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Listeners will ultimately determine it’s fate. If successful, it may get picked up. I wouldn’t hold my breath.
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