00:00Five generations of the Radford family have farmed this lush region in northern Tasmania.
00:09For them, communication is key, and so is staying up to date with local news.
00:15Keeping you updated every day.
00:18For 91-year-old Reuben, nothing beats the country hour.
00:21Most important for when I grew up, when I'm farming myself,
00:25and that is the weather report and the general reports of what's going on around the country.
00:31Learning from Reuben's decades of experience,
00:34his children and grandchildren developed their own passion for the land.
00:38Caitlin's style of farming looks different to how her pop did it decades ago.
00:44And so does listening to the radio.
00:46He's got a radio beside his bed and in his kitchen.
00:49For me, it's a little bit different though.
00:51I quite like a good podcast, so I get it up on the app and listen to it whenever I can.
00:58As news outlets shrink and close in Australia's regions,
01:02media experts say local news is more crucial than ever for representation and information.
01:08Particularly for the agricultural sector,
01:10the country hour has been such an important lifeblood for the farming community.
01:15Great to have your company.
01:16After 80 years, the country hour is now Australia's longest running radio program.
01:21And despite the pressures on local content, it's not going anywhere soon.
01:26Local news is still really important, but the way reporters tell those stories has changed.
01:31They're not just on your radio anymore, they're online, on TV and on social media.
01:37Taking rural conversations and stories to different audiences for decades to come.
01:46How is it going somewhere?
01:47I've been studying and talking to them.
01:48And we're now hearing from people.
01:49Let's deal with them.
01:50After walking, who are listening to a microphone,
01:53The way to hear them is a little bit different.
01:55We'll think about what they're doing.
01:56And it's not going to be looking for.
01:57Let's see.
01:59OK.
02:00How is it going to be?
02:01Well, what?
02:02What?
02:03What can I do?
02:05What do you want to do?
02:06I appreciate what you learn to do.
