The Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association (CAAMA) is an organisation founded in 1980 by Freda Glynn, Phillip Batty and John Macumba in order to expose Aboriginal music and culture to the rest of Australia from its Alice Springs media centre through the film-making industry, commencing broadcast in 1988.[1] CAAMA is Productions is currently the largest indigenous production house in Australia.[2] The organisation is particularly focused on the involvement of the local indigenous community in their production. It has been argued that the establishment of CAAMA and the spread of communications technology could threaten the relationship between generations and the respect for traditional knowledge.[3]
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In 1980, CAAMA originally established itself as a public radio station by two Aboriginal people and one ‘whitefella’. The success of the station quickly grew, leadings its content to extend into music (country-western and Aboriginal rock), call-ins, discussion, and news and current affairs. Broadcasts were made in six different languages, alongside English, and operated about fifteen hours every day. Later expansions saw the station move into AM and shortwave broadcasts with educational programmes, live recordings of Aboriginal bands, and commercials for local Aboriginal products and services. In 1984, CAAMA started to produce a video newsletter to circulate to those communities without easy access to radio facilities.
CAAMA obtained its Regional Commercial Television Services license in 1986 after concern was raised with Australia’s first satellite (AUSSAT), which would bring commercial television to regional sections of Australia. Concern was raised over the national rollout of AUSSAT would have on Aboriginal languages and cultures in regional areas. As such, CAAMA made the bid to obtain their license in 1985 to the Australian Broadcasting Tribunal. Ginsberg (1993)[4] notes their bid was a symbolic act that was then taken seriously, as “the tribunal provided the arena for the articulation of national media policies at least nominally in support of the concerns of remote-living Aboriginal people.” (1993:n.p.) In January, 1988 the private commercial television station they own, Imparja, began broadcasting, servicing at least 100,000 viewers in Central Australia (Batty 1992)[5].
Imparja had contributed to the visible increase of Aboriginal identity to the Australian media landscape. The station was also crucial in developing content which attempted to maintain and sustain Aboriginal culture. One example included Nganampa-Anwernekenbe [Ours] which reflected Aboriginal culture through performing and visual arts. 1991 saw a turn to independently created films about, or created by, Aboriginal people. The series of films lasted several months and aired every Saturday during its time.
During the first few years of Imparja, CAAMA faced growing concerns from media activists that commercial programming would consume local content (Michaels 1984). Other concerns were raised of the lack of Aboriginal presence in Imparja’s programming (Batty 1992) that, although Imparja was the largest television stated owned by Australian Aboriginal people, only 10% its staff were Aboriginal (Ginsburg 1993); that some broadcasts reflected a lacked a sufficient number of Aboriginal programming; and others raised issues of broadcast quality (Molnar 1989).[6]. In saying this, the importance of CAAMA’s multi-media based approached has ensured that Aboriginal media is an important part to the Australian media landscape and to the social, cultural, and economic development of Aboriginal people in remote parts of Australia, as seen by CAAMA’s recent employment policies. American anthropologist Faye Ginsburg who has written extensively on Indigenous/Aboriginal media in Australia writes:
"Aboriginal media products are as various as Aboriginal life itself, ranging from low-budget videos made by community-based media associations for both traditional people in remote settlements and groups throughout Central Australia by organisations such as the Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association (CAAMA); to legal or instructional videos (often quite creative) made by land councils as well as health and other service groups; to documentaries and current affairs for national broadcasting; to independent features directed by cosmopolitan Aboriginal artists such as Tracey Moffatt whose first feature film, Bedevil, premiered at Cannes in 1993." (1994:366)[7]
CAAMA works in a broader landscape of Aboriginal/Indigenous media organisations based in Australia. Some other organisations include Gadigal Information Service, Goolarri Media Enterprise/Broome Aboriginal Media Association, Top End Aboriginal Bush Broadcasting Association, and the National Indigenous Times.
In 2005 CAAMA submitted a report to the Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs’ inquiry into Indigenous employment [8]. The report outlined several ways government leaders could access future policy in regards to Indigenous employment, using CAAMA as a case study. Some key issues CAAMA raised included: skills training; funding; recruitment; increase in Indigenous population; youth employment; strengthening links between education and training; establish and sustain networks between the private and public sectors, alongside the community; and collaborate with pre-existing organisations in training Aboriginal people.
The second section of the report outlined how CAAMA has contributed to the training and employment of Aboriginal people in Central Australia. In their twenty-five years of operations CAAMA has an active ‘aboriginalisation policy,’ which means 65% of employees are Aboriginal. CAAMA has also assisted in the education of over 100 Indigenous people, of whom a majority of their trainees were part of the Major Indigenous Employment Strategy (1988-1993). CAAMA suggest that their success has been afforded by the commitment of government; implementation of the Major Indigenous Employment Strategy; an understanding of social, cultural, and economic issues impacting Aboriginal people; and their flexible learning environment.
Since 2009 CAAMA has development a business plan to identity ways to enhance their viability and sustainability with less reliance on government funding, and to increase new opportunities in New Media products and other related services and products.
The CAAMA Group includes:
CAAMA Radio 8 KIN-FM provides twenty-four hours Indigenous radio programming to over 500,000 people in Australia. Broadcasting in Remote Aboriginal Communities Services (RIBS): provides radio broadcasts to several remote Aboriginal communities in their own language, including Papunya, Ntaria (Hermansbug), Ltyentye Apurte (Santa Teresa), and Areyonga.
CAAMA Music is a record label which produces 90% of its recordings in Indigenous languages. Performances organised by CAAMA have been popular with audiences, with people travelling from across the area to attend. One recent event, The Yeperenye Festival, drew a crowd of 30,000.[2] Musicians recorded by CAAMA are also seen on the Imparja, SBS and ABC television networks. In conjunction with CAAMA Radio, CAAMA Music transmits outside broadcasts of performances by Aboriginal musicians.[2]
CAAMA Corporate Services Group provides operational management and services to CAAMA group.
CAAMA Technical Services works with CAAMA and local communities to ensure technical equipment in Aboriginal communities is in working order, alongside providing information and technological services to these communities.
CAAMA Shops Pty Ltd is a retail and wholesale outlet and distributes products (videos, music, literature, craft, etc.) created by Aboriginal people in the local area.
CAAMA Productions Pty Ltd is the largest Indigenous owned production house in Australia, with programming based on Indigenous culture, lifestyle, and issues.
Some of CAAMA's award winning productions include:
See also Imparja Television Pty Ltd
Imparja Television Pty Ltd is a commercial television station operative from Alice Springs.
Successful CAAMA Indigenous trainees include Rachael Perkins (AFI award winning Writer/Director), Beck Cole (Writer/Director, official Sundance selection), Allan Collins (Director/Cinematographer, AFI awarding winning Cinematographer), Daniele McLean (AFI awarding winning Writer/Director), Warwick Thompson (Director/Cinematographer, winner of Berlin Film Festival), Erica Glynn (Wirter/Director, AFI nominee), Priscilla Collins (Executive Producer, AFI nominee), Peter Clarke (Online Editor, Imparja Television), and Angela Bates (Journalist, SBS Television).
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