History of the New England media

Gordon carried a post, David Drummond to open Radio 2AD, on his Old New England blog about the opening of radio station 2AD in Armidale.

The story of the rise and fall of the independent New England media forms an important theme in New England history. It also links to a challenge I posed a few months ago to Christian Knight as editor of the Armidale Express. Was it still possible in a world of media chains for local media to adopt the type of campaigning role for local and regional interests that they once did? Christian said yes, but I remain to be convinced.  

As it happened, a long time (1982) I wrote a piece on David Drummond and the New England media using the board papers of a variety of local companies. It was handwritten, an input into something else, but a copy survived in the UNE archives. Now archivist Bill Oates is copying it for me so that I can use it again.

I also learn from Bill that Don Thomas from 2AD is working on the history of the radio station.

I do love this internet world. Forget the big picture stuff. At a time when so much has moved away from the local or regional, it gives us a weapon to fight back.