Caucuses

Photo by John Hult on Unsplash

The RPTF maintains a series of themed caucus groups that explore funding opportunities, help identify and generate metadata on relevant collections, and encourage academic study and educational uses of radio in their respective areas.

Chair: Bala Baptiste, Miles College

This caucus promotes the study of audio media relevant to the struggle for civil rights, aids in the preservation of related artifacts and archival materials, publishes analyses of historical and contemporary sound media, and shares such information with the public.



Caribbean Radio

Chair: Alejandra Bronfman, SUNY Albany

This caucus includes professors, graduate students, librarians, archivists and independent scholars. Its members work on publications that draw from recently digitized Caribbean materials in the US, creating lesson plans and disseminating information about their collections, including planning for a series of multilingual audio essays. 

Chairs: Laura Schnitker, University of Maryland

Kate Jewell, Fitchburg State University
Jennifer Waits, Radio Survivor

This caucus supports and promotes the preservation of college, community and educational radio archives and resources.

Please contact the caucus here: RPTF.CCER@gmail.com.


Gender and Sexuality

Chairs: Kathleen Battles, Oakland University
Tanya Zuk, Georgia State University
Mary Beth Haralovich, University of Arizona

This caucus seeks to identify and preserve recorded radio sound related to LGBTQIA communities, with a specific focus on women’s voices. It works with local broadcasters and collectors, as well as activists groups connected to LGBTQIA and/or feminist education and social movements.


History of
In-Studio Performances

Chairs: Kate Jewell, Fitchburg State University

Miles Levy, Smithsonian Channel

Elena Razlogova, Concordia

This caucus works with music labels to document and increase the public availability of recordings and other materials connected to musical performances aired live from radio studios and remote venues.

Caucus temporarily on hiatus.


Spanish-Language Radio

Chairs: Inés Casillas, University of California, Santa Barbara
Sonia Robles, University of Delaware

This caucus focuses on identifying collections of early Spanish-language and bilingual radio, facilitates the preservation of Spanish-language and bilingual radio materials, and encourages academic and public scholarship on Spanish-language and bilingual radio for broadcasting history and culture in the United States.