Aug 2, 2026 · 29 min · 11 segments
The first episode of Women on the Line was broadcast on July 16, 1986.This week on the program we mark 40 years of Women on the Line with an interview with WOTL’s first producer, Deb Welch.We’ll also…
On community radio around so-called Australia, you're listening to Women on the Line.
We're celebrating Women on the Line's momentous 40th anniversary of broadcast by speaking with the program's first producer, Deb Welsh.
you know the men were nice progressive men but they moved themselves on air quite easily with a sort of sense of that's where I belong and the women said oh maybe I could help on the reception desk and like those roles every one of those roles in a community broadcasting station is essential like the reception desk is such a critical role
so I'm not dissing any of the roles that people might play or even saying that everybody has to be on air
doesn't suit everybody but that wasn't the barrier the barrier was the sense of entitlement or not entitlement and that's the stuff you've got to change and then you can do the sort of thing that suits who you are
okay I have a question for you I've always wanted to ask someone about this story so I heard that um For one early International Women's Day at 3CR, there was in fact some kind of action in the station and there was a lockout of the men and the women sort of took over the station and broadcast for 24 hours.
And that's where we got the women and gender diverse people broadcast on International Women's Day thing.
you know, if something could be older than when I was there, because 40 years ago seems remarkably unbelievable to me.
I reckon it might have been a slightly earlier generation because by the time I was there, you know, we'd applied for a role to play this and it was a very accepted thing.
On community radio around so-called Australia, you're listening to Women on the Line.
We're celebrating Women on the Line's momentous 40th anniversary of broadcast by speaking with the program's first producer, Deb Welsh.
you know the men were nice progressive men but they moved themselves on air quite easily with a sort of sense of that's where I belong and the women said oh maybe I could help on the reception desk and like those roles every one of those roles in a community broadcasting station is essential like the reception desk is such a critical role
so I'm not dissing any of the roles that people might play or even saying that everybody has to be on air
doesn't suit everybody but that wasn't the barrier the barrier was the sense of entitlement or not entitlement and that's the stuff you've got to change and then you can do the sort of thing that suits who you are
okay I have a question for you I've always wanted to ask someone about this story so I heard that um For one early International Women's Day at 3CR, there was in fact some kind of action in the station and there was a lockout of the men and the women sort of took over the station and broadcast for 24 hours.
And that's where we got the women and gender diverse people broadcast on International Women's Day thing.
you know, if something could be older than when I was there, because 40 years ago seems remarkably unbelievable to me.
I reckon it might have been a slightly earlier generation because by the time I was there, you know, we'd applied for a role to play this and it was a very accepted thing.
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