Ownership: Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC RURAL)
Location: Toowoomba CBD, QLD
Broadcast audience: Queensland
Executive Producer: Jodie Gunders
Presenters: Amy Phillips and Arlie Felton-Taylor
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My Internship
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During my third year of studying my Bachelor of Journalism at Griffith University, I got in contact with ABC Landline Executive Producer Cathie Schnitzerling in regards to available internships in Rural Queensland. She advised me to contact Andrew Arthur who works at the ABC and is the boss of all the Executive Producers in Queensland, particularly in South East Queensland. He contacted his EPs and Jodie Gunders from ABC Queensland Country Hour in Toowoomba got in contact with me in regards to an available position. I spent a period of three weeks and a total of 75 hours (Not paid) in Toowoomba.
I shadowed presenters Arlie Felton-Taylor and Amy Phillips who are fully qualified journalists working for the ABC. I also assisted and observed Executive Producer Jodie Gunders in the newsroom. I also shadowed Rural Reporter Lydia Burton and I was able to help write and produce rural stories for both Radio, Online and Television media forms. A highlight of my experience was producing a radio story and feature story for the ABC for it to be published nationally on their website.
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What is the Queensland Country Hour?
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The Queensland country Hour is an ABC run radio station located in the Toowoomba town, two hours south west of Brisbane. The rural radio station offers comprehensive reporting on Australia’s agriculture industry and the commodities market. The show runs from 12pm – 1pm daily on weekdays across Queensland on the ABC radio channel. The hosts and presenters of the Queensland country hour are Amy Phillips and Arlie-Felton Taylor. The Executive producer is Jodie Gunders and the head of staff (Chief of Staff) is Vicki Thompson in the Toowoomba office.
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Led by dedicated journalists in regional and rural Australia, the ABC Queensland Country Hour covers the rural stories that matter, whether it be the severe drought out west, beef prices achievements or heartbreaking news.
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The Queensland Country hour is dedicated to the hardworking farmers and people living in regional and rural Australia. It is a platform to connect producers to the consumers and other farmers; to relay information of hardship or achievements. It is an amazing program to remind consumers and people not living and working in the rural Australia to recognise our farmers who are battling hardship and extreme weather events to put food on the table for families across Australia.
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ABC qUEENSLAND COUNTRY HOUR
