These thoughts come from the Broadcast era, when people of a nation gathered together to share common stories. While there were strong differences within each nation, they were represented in common platforms, such as newspaper mastheads and live television.
One of my favourite times in this era was Sunday night. For most, it was a time for families to watch slightly stale movies on the box. For surly adolescents, there were a number of cerebral radio programs. Some would play whole “albums”, rather than a string of singles. During my formative years, I was glued to Australia’s ABC radio, which had a number of reflective programs such as Radio Helicon or The Night Air that could transport you into a thoughtful space.
Sunday night was, and maybe still is, a time to take a breath before the week begins again.
But for me now, it reminds me of the possibility of a conversation that could bring a nation together.