Mondays 8.30 - 9AM. Repeated Mondays 6 - 6.30AM.

Broadcast nationally on the Community Radio Network, the satellite service of the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia on Fridays at 1.04PM.

In English.

Women On The Line is community radio's women's current affairs program. Since 1986, Women On The Line has featured women’s voices, issues and commentary. The show provides a gender analysis of contemporary issues, as well as in-depth analysis by a range of women around Australia and internationally. Women On The Line takes a national perspective on women’s issues, and has rotating producers and presenters.

On The Record: 20 Years of Women's Radio is an 8-part radio series chronicling the women's movement in Australia from 1986 to 2006, to mark the 20th anniversary of Women On The Line. The radio series can be heard at the Women On The Line website, and was a Highly Commended Special Event Broadcast at the CBAA 2007 Awards.

Subscribe to the 3CR podcast or listen to recent podcasts or download programs at the Women On The Line website.

Presented by Maja Graham, Jaye Hardy, Elanor McInerney and Rachel O'Connell.

Website and Contact

CRAM Article November 2004: Women on the Line profile

Currently Australia’s only national women’s current affairs radio program, Women on the Line has a new production team in 2004.

Since 1986, producers of this half-hour program have aimed to present high-quality current affairs programming on women’s issues from the perspective of women from diverse backgrounds. An impressive list of skilled and dynamic women have been involved with the program over the years, including Ruth Barney, Karen James, Rachel Petra, Deb Welch, Andrea Baker, Cath Keaney and Helen Lobato, as well as many guest producers.

Presently the show is produced and presented voluntarily by five 3CR broadcasters who have each been involved with community-based current affairs programs and have presented and produced other 3CR radio shows. The content of the show also features interviews produced by other women broadcasters at the station.

Petra Watson, Sam Sowerwine, Clare Land, Geraldine Cahill and Melissa Cranenburgh generate diverse programming by alternating the producer/presenter roles for each weekly edition of Women on the Line.

Co-host and producer for 3CR’s legal issues show, Done By Law, Sam perceives an undervaluing of women’s role as newsmakers. “Politically hard-hitting news is really seen from a man’s perspective; women will often undervalue what they’re doing.”

The very notion of what is current affairs is often challenged by women producers. Melissa, who also co-hosts 3CR’s weekly talk-back show, TalkBack With Attitude, wanted to “produce shows that didn’t follow the standard current affairs format”. She finds working within a broadcasting collective an enriching experience. “We talk broadly about issues that we want to cover, but all five of us have very different interests and perspectives.”

By Melissa Cranenburgh + Bree McKilligan.