Life Matters Explained

Show Name:	Life Matters
Country:	Australia
Language:	English
Home Station:	Radio National, Australian Broadcasting Corporation
First Aired:	1992

Life Matters is a magazine-style radio program that has been broadcast on Radio National by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation since 1992. The first presenter was Geraldine Doogue, and the program is presented by Hilary Harper (Monday to Thursday) and Beverley Wang (Fridays). Covering a range of social and personal issues, it airs each weekday at 9am, and is repeated at 7pm.

History

Life Matters was created as "a program charting social change" by Doogue, then Radio National general manager Norman Swan and producer Joanne Upham in 2002. Doogue had been recruited to the ABC in 1991 to present Offspring, a predecessor program to Life Matters.^[1]

Presenters

• Geraldine Doogue presented the program for eleven years from its inception.^[2]
• Julie McCrossin presented the program from 2002 to 2005.^[3]
• Richard Aedy presented the program from 2006 to 2011.^{[4] [5]}
• Natasha Mitchell presented the program from 2012 to 2016.^[6]
• Amanda Smith presented the program from 2017 to 2018.^[7]
• Hilary Harper and Michael Mackenzie presented the program from 2019^{[8] [9]} until Mackenzie's retirement in May 2022.^[10]
• , Life Matters is presented by Hilary Harper from Monday to Thursday and Beverley Wang on Fridays.^{[11] [12]}

Format and description

Life Matters covers a range of topics relating to personal relationships; health, financial, and work issues; "and the world". It interviews experts and invites listeners to contribute by phoning in and sending text messages.^[11]

From its inception the program has been broadcast on weekdays from 9 am.^[1], it is repeated at 7pm, and past episodes are also available on the ABC Listen app.^[11]

Notes and References

1. News: Doogue's 10 years with the issues that matter. Tarica. Elisabeth. 11 July 2002. The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. 28 October 2013.
2. Web site: Geraldine Doogue - ABC Radio National. ABC Radio National. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 28 October 2013.
3. News: Hungry for breakfast. 13 August 2005. The Sydney Morning Herald. 28 October 2013.
4. Web site: Richard Aedy - ABC Radio National. ABC Radio National. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 28 October 2013.
5. News: Radio National announces the 2012 schedule. Bodey. Michael. The Australian. News Corp Australia. 28 October 2013.
6. Web site: Natasha Mitchell - ABC Radio National. ABC Radio National. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 28 October 2013.
7. Web site: Changes at ABC radio: Margaret Throsby leaves daily radio, Chris Bath joins. Sydney Morning Herald. 16 November 2016 . 2 October 2019.
8. Web site: ABC RN announces new shows and voices in 2019. ABC Radio National. 4 December 2018 . Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 2 October 2019.
9. Web site: Life Matters - Programs . ABC Radio National . 16 February 2021.
10. Web site: Mackenzie . Michael . Michael Mackenzie hangs up his mic, parents behaving badly on the sidelines at kids' sport and gift giving . ABC listen . 5 May 2022 . 18 February 2024.
11. Web site: Life Matters with Hilary Harper and Beverley Wang . ABC listen . 18 February 2024 . 18 February 2024.
12. Web site: Beverley Wang . ABC Radio National . 19 February 2024.