AI, Ethics, and Influence
June 30, 2025
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July 25, 2025Community connection, one segment at a time
Funded through a $4,000 SPARC Support Grant from Dubbo Regional Council, Town Telly is a digital storytelling experiment—a pilot designed to test how we could better share local voices, amplify grassroots events, and the everyday magic of our region.
The Pitch
Reduce isolation, boost belonging bring a new kind of visibility to the voices of Dubbo.
Broadcast straight from the Dubbo region and presented by the people who live and love it, Town Telly is more than a show. It's a local grapevine celebrating culture, creativity, and the genuine spirit of our community.
The concept pitched for feasibility was a fortnightly hour-long show featuring local content that promotes all that is great and good in the region. Each episode would shine a spotlight on a different village or town within the LGA.
With the theme of kindness, community, and connection, the purpose of the Town Telly concept is to shift how visitors see us and how we see ourselves.
WHAT IF: We had a way to engage with all Dubbo residents that brought the community closer and lifted well-being, even for those beyond the traditional reach of local media, including people in care, hospital, or those with limited access to arts, culture, and community due to finance or location.
What if, at the same time, it offered tourism and government channels hyper-local stories that enhance and expand visitor experience, that delivered social and economic benefits to the region?
Town Telly - Pilot
Broadcast straight from the Dubbo region and presented by the people who live and love it, Town Telly is more than a show — it’s a local grapevine celebrating culture, creativity, and the genuine spirit of our community.
This debut episode hosted by locals Camilla Ward and Sharon Quill (Cam & Shaz) features five segments that celebrate community, creativity, kindness, and connection.
Filmed by Studio 138 and shaped by local feedback, the pilot showcases Dubbo’s cultural pulse: from local heroes to arts highlights and community happenings. It’s part studio show, part love letter to regional life.
Not just “what’s on” but “what matters.”
Brings back real local stories As traditional local media declines, Town Telly helps preserve and amplify authentic voices from across the Dubbo region.
Builds creative industries with purpose By sustainably supporting the arts and local creators, the show contributes to growing the region’s creative economy while advocating for the value of culture.
Strengthens community identity and cohesion By spotlighting local events, people, and places, Town Telly fosters pride, belonging, and a deeper connection to place.
Celebrates diversity and cultural expression The show enables communities to share their unique cultural identities, leading to greater awareness, appreciation, and inclusion.
Improves well-being through engagement Community engagement is widely recognised as a key driver of well-being. Town Telly offers a joyful, meaningful way to connect.
Reaches the most isolated Through accessible online platforms and targeted promotion to care homes, hospitals, and community services, even those who are physically, financially, or geographically isolated can feel part of something bigger.
Enhances tourism and visitor experiences By sharing vibrant, real stories with tourism and government channels, the show has the potential to boost regional visibility and positively impact visitor engagement.
In a time of shrinking local media and limited access to authentic community storytelling, Town Telly steps in to fill the gap.
The Collaboration
This kind of local, values-aligned collaboration captures what Social Gain stands for: partnerships that go beyond logos. It’s about bringing good people together to do great things ~ like these amazing women creating a cut-through experience.
Where did the idea for Town Telly Come From?
Town Telly was born from a community radio show by Camilla (Cam) Ward and Sharon (Shaz) Quill. The former hosts wanted a way to continue amplifying the region's Goodens.
For 18 months on DCFM 88.9, Cam & Shaz produced and hosted a weekly show aimed to 'raise the vibe' and share about all the good things the Dubbo region has to offer.
Their Dubbo Dooo segment was about smaller events and fundraisers, and their Gooden of the Week was a shout-out to those who make the region a better place. Goodens ranged from the local cafe offering free meals to mums answering a call for help on a Facebook community page.
Where Next?
Town Telly was always more than a one-off idea—it was a way to explore how storytelling could strengthen community connections and give locals a real voice. That vision is now evolving.
Building on what we’ve learned, Town Telly will form part of a new initiative designed to open doors for young people through a series of hands-on experiences, creative workshops, and real-world projects.
This next chapter will stay true to the original vision and align tangible and meaningful outcomes to a specific demographic.
Stay tuned.
