TuneFM brings you thoughtful conversations with leading researchers and experts, unpacking today's most pressing issues through a solutions-focused lens. Broadcasting from Australia's oldest university broadcaster at the University of New England, we continue our proud tradition of engaging public discourse that began in 1970.
Each week, we dive deep into current events and emerging research with UNE's brightest minds and experts from the community. From climate adaptation to social policy, our guests offer evidence-based insights and constructive approaches to today's challenges. As part of CBAA's Newshub network, TuneFM's work helps these vital conversations reach audiences across Australia's through National Radio News and The Wire.
Join us as we build on TuneFM's legacy of meaningful dialogue and positive change, bringing academic expertise to bear on the questions that matter most to our community. Listen wherever you get your podcasts or tune in through TuneFM, UNE's student powered radio.
Brought to you by UNE Life. All music licensed through APRA AMCOS.
As part of our conversation on universal basic income, we spoke with Sustainable Australia Party Founder, William Bourke, about it's place in SAP's policies, and how they would like to see it implemented. Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/tunefm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
With the cost of living on the rise, is it time we look at different ways to support our population? We sit down with economist and Australian Basic Income Lab co-founder, Ben Spies-Butcher, to discuss how a universal basic income would benefit the country. Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/tunefm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A recent honours thesis from University of South Australia student, Luigi Donnarumma, has investigated the relationship between social media and men's body image - particularly muscle dysmorphia, a form of body dysmorphia often seen in men, resulting in feelings of not being muscular or strong enough. TuneFM caught up with Luigi to discuss his paper, and the impacts of muscle dysphoria on young men. If you or a friend need help, you can contact LifeLine on 13 11 14, or MensLine Australia on 1300...
The NSW State Government has today introduced proposed changes that would see protestors fined a maximum penalty of $22,000 for obstructing a railway. This new legislation aims to balance the peoples right to protest with public safety. The NSW Council for Civil Liberties opposes the changes, believing them to be undemocratic in nature. Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/tunefm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Australia's biggest frog count has begun - so hop on over to the app store and get involved! This absolutely ribbet-ing project has been running for seven years, and has had 1.1 million frogs recorded in that time. We spoke to the Australian Museum's Dr Jodi Rowley, who is the lead scientist on this project, about Frog ID week and why it's so important. Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/tunefm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
November is Turtle Month and what better way to celebrate than by getting out in nature and participating in a citizen science project! We caught up with Dr Deb Bower from UNE to discuss all things turtles, as well as how YOU can get involved using the TurtleSAT app. Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/tunefm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dr Sophie Collins from the University of New England sits down with TuneFM to discuss her PhD work and the threats currently facing the endangered Booroolong frog. Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/tunefm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dr Rodney Berrell sits down with TuneFM to discuss the impact of a recent fossicking ban in the New England region, and what he hopes to see done for fossicking in the future. Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/tunefm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Fossicking in the Nundle region will continue, following concerns raised regarding its impact on the tourism industry. The short-lived ban was put in place last month, in order to protect the endangered Booroolong frog. TuneFM spoke to Dr Sophie Collins from UNE, and Dr Rodney Berrell about their thoughts and experiences with the frogs. This package combines both their voices, but the full interviews are available to listen to as well. Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/tunefm See omnyst...
Listeners are advised that this episode discusses content regarding domestic and financial abuse. If you or a loved one need help, please reach out to 1800-RESPECT, or visit their website. A recent study from Swinburne University of Technology has revealed that the current child support system model is putting single mothers at risk of poverty and financial abuse. TuneFM sat down with lead study author, Professor Kay Cook, to discuss the issues, and the recommendations as laid out in the study. ...
Studying at university can require juggling multiple other elements of your life; you might work, you might be raising children, or you might be in the process of winning an olympic medal at the 2024 Paralympic Games. Granted, that last one might only be true if your name is Dan Michel, who joined Jack over the airwaves to talk about his studies and his career competing in Boccia. Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/tunefm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
A question on gender identity and sexuality will now be included on the 2026 census, as the federal government comes under fire from LGBTQ+ advocacy groups. However, the ABS will not be including a question on intersex populations. Treasury Assistant Minister Andrew Leigh said the topic was too technically complex to collect high quality data. TuneFM caught up with Dr Aileen Kennedy, the chair of Intersex Human Rights Australia, to discuss the matter. Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/t...
Listeners are advised that this interview contains discussion of topics relating to animal welfare that may be distressing to some. Please listen with caution. A NSW State inquiry will inquire into, report on, and make finding and recommendations in relation to greyhound welfare, management, and accuracy and reporting by Greyhound Racing NSW. TuneFM caught up with Harry Rothenfluh from the Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds about the inquiry, along with Laura M, who has greyhound rescues...
On the 11th of October, Swedish power metal band Sabaton will be releasing a concert film of their latest world tour, The Tour to End All Tours. Joining the legions of artists to bring a live recording to the big screen with a cinema release including Metallica, Ghost, and Taylor Swift, the unorthodox historians will see their concert film screened in over 800 theatre across the world, including select Hoyts, Event, and Village cinemas in Australia. Our Operations Coordinator and huge Sabaton fa...
In September UNE PhD candidate Sophie Zaccone and members of the Barkindji nation have the opportunity to head to Uruguay for the International Conference for Community Psychology. Co-designed with the Barkindji people, Sophie's research project combines traditional knowledge and community psychology to create a wellbeing garden for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Currently they're raising money to make the trip overseas for the conference, where they will be sharing their knowledge with, and l...
TuneFM sits down with Equality Australia legal director, Emily Gray, to discuss the impacts of the recently announced changes to the 2026 census, which will see LGBTQIA+ Australians excluded from the questionnaire. If this decisions has impacted you or a loved one, you can find support: QLife: qlife.org.au or 1800 184 527 LifeLine: 13 11 14 BlaQ Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/tunefm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Social media use amongst children is a growing concern in Australia. Some members of the government have pushed for a social media ban for young people under the age of 16, proposing an introduction of age verification measures to ensure that children are not circumventing the ban, if it were to be put in place. However, not everyone is in support of this proposal, and many experts believe that a social media ban is not the answer. TuneFM sat down with five law lecturers, each with a focus relat...
Music has a long history with political movements, but recently the question of whether it should be disconnected from politics has been raised yet again. The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra made the controversial decision to cancel pianist Jayson Gillham's concerts, following his dedication of the piece, titled Witness and composed by Connor D'Netto, to the journalists in Gaza. We caught up with A/Prof Paul Smith and Dr Marty Branagan to discuss the relationship between music and political movemen...
Conservationists across Australia have been deploying some interesting strategies in the fight to save our native wildlife, and a new effort by Macquarie University in collaboration with the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) in Western Australia and a group of First Nations rangers from Bunuba country continues that trend. Ben is joined by study lead author Dr. Georgia Ward-Fear from Macquarie University to discuss the impacts that cane toads have been having on the...
Disney has found themselves in hot water this month following the news that a doctor died of anaphylactic shock after dining at a restaurant the company promoted as being allergen friendly on their website. However, it was not this tragic news that made headlines, but rather the fact that Disney has argued that the wrongful death lawsuit brought against them by the widower should be thrown out - because he agreed to a binding arbitration clause when signing up for a Disney+ free trial in 2019. W...
UNE was lucky enough to present a guest lecture from Professor Christina Sanchez-Stockhammer all the way from Chemnitz University of Technology in Germany! Professor Sanchez came to our corner of the globe to talk about her work in linguistics and using corpora to analyze the language of pop culture works from the Brothers Grimm fairytales to the mega-franchise Star Wars. Professor Sanchez dropped into our studio to discuss her work with Ben, including the benefits of corpora and the different p...
Each year 55 thousand people are reported missing in Australia. The first week of August is National Missing Persons Week, which aims to shine a light on these cases. We spoke to Associate Professor Sarah Wayland who has been working in the missing persons sector for twenty years, about the need for prevention strategies and the ways in which the media impacts families. Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/tunefm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
The UNE Student Council is calling for nominations! Council member Kristy Sillman sits down with Ash to talk about the Council, what it does, why students should run for a position, and how to put your hand up for a role. Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/tunefm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Book lovers in Australia were thrown for a loop this month after learning that one of Australia's largest online book retailers, Booktopia, was entering voluntary administration. We spoke with Professor Michael Adams about what voluntary administration and insolvency means for a business, and how this affects consumers. Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/tunefm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
A new initiative from the University of New South Wales is taking teachers out of the classroom and onto Country, giving them the skills and confidence to better connect with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander kids in their classes. We caught up with Associate Professor Kevin Lowe from UNSW to talk about the project and its importance. Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/tunefm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
A recent study published in the journal science details a remarkable discovery - near-perfectly preserved trilobite fossils, encased in volcanic rock. To learn more about the discovery, we caught up with UNE's Professor John Paterson, who was involved in the study, to talk about the trilobites and why volcanic rocks might be a new target in the hunt for fossils. Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/tunefm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Cicadas are being infected by a parasitic fungi, massospora cicadina, which turns them into hyper-sexual zombie bugs. To learn more about this fascinating fungi, we caught up with Dr Tommy Leung, a parasitologist here at UNE, to talk about all things parasites, and how they interact with the insect world. Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/tunefm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
A year into the role, TuneFM sits down with Vice Chancellor of UNE, Professor Chris Moran, to discuss his journey so far and what his thoughts on the future of higher education are. Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/tunefm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
UNE heads to Wollongong to compete in the Indigenous Nationals - a week long celebration of sport and culture for First Nations uni students. TuneFM speaks to SportUNE's Matt Pine and Oorala Aboriginal Centre's Courtney Baker about the excitement ahead of the games. Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/tunefm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Australian National Organisation for Women's Safety has announced a $2 million investment in research focusing on the perpetrators of domestic and family violence. We caught up with ANROWS CEO, Dr Tessa Boyd-Caine, to discuss the importance of this research and how it can be used to inform policy and community services. 1800 RESPECT – 1800 737 732 The national sexual assault, domestic and family violence information and support line, 24 hours. If you need translation or interpreting services...
