{"id":1896,"date":"2024-11-22T11:04:57","date_gmt":"2024-11-22T00:34:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/alumni-stories\/?p=1896"},"modified":"2025-12-04T10:16:28","modified_gmt":"2025-12-03T23:46:28","slug":"lauren-hillman","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/alumni-stories\/2024\/11\/22\/lauren-hillman\/","title":{"rendered":"Keeping the stream alive"},"content":{"rendered":"


\nFrom producing one-of-a-kind live television events, to writing and directing an observational documentary dating series for ABC and a dream role behind the scenes with some of Australia\u2019s best chefs, it\u2019s been giving local community TV a chance of not just survival but thriving success that continues to drive multi-award winning producer Lauren Hillman (BA ’00, BA(Hons) ’02).<\/strong><\/p>\n

As General Manager of Channel 44 Adelaide, Lauren is a passionate advocate for the role that community TV plays in supporting the South Australian screen sector through training and opportunities for diverse and emerging screen makers.<\/p>\n

\u201cShowcasing uniquely Australian content such as the live stream production of the Adelaide Fringe awards, the science heroes of North Terrace or a rambunctious Riverland beekeeper are great examples of the niche and hyper-local stories that just wouldn’t get produced for commercial television, which is why community TV continues to provide such an important platform within the media landscape,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been a long road to this point for Lauren, who has dipped her toes in every facet of television production over the years, honing her craft and staying true to the type of content she knows her and others would like to see on our screens. It may have been a different story however had Lauren stuck with her original path.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was very excited to study at Flinders Uni because Scott Hicks had studied there! I actually first auditioned for the Drama Centre,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen I discovered screen studies, and I absolutely loved it. I decided quickly that instead of being in front of the camera, I really wanted to be behind the camera telling stories.\u201d<\/p>\n

Finding herself pulling beers behind the bar of a London pub, as many Aussie expats do, a chance meeting and chat about what she had studied back home thrust her onto the set of a history documentary for the BBC. Loving every minute of wrangling actors and props, this sliding door moment confirmed to her this was a world she wanted to be a part of.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I returned home, I saw auditions for reality TV show My Restaurant Rules were being held,\u201d Lauren says.<\/p>\n

\u201cGiven my hospitality background, I auditioned and got the role as an on-camera waitress. As much as it was a fun experience, it also gave me a great understanding of the type of TV I didn\u2019t want to produce!<\/p>\n

\u201cBehind the camera, the opportunity to connect with a production team was invaluable, I really connected with the crew and in particular one producer, who became a great friend, was a catalyst in giving me my start in the TV industry in Adelaide.\u201d<\/p>\n

After multiple small freelance gigs, Lauren quickly aligned herself with factual TV and landed her dream role at ABCTV at Collinswood. She carved out a strong career in South Australia, working her way up from a production coordinator, to researcher, to associate producer and then began producing shows like Poh’s Kitchen, The Cook and The Chef, Restoration Australia and then in 2014 wrote, produced and directed her first series The Daters for ABC iview. Sadly, this came to an abrupt end when the government of the day made cuts to the ABC, resulting in mass redundancies.<\/p>\n

An opportunity locally from Channel Nine came knocking and in 2015, Lauren was offered the series producer role of the Team Kids Easter Appeal telethon, the first and only 6.5 hour live event of its kind in more than 30 years in SA, raising more than $2.2 million for the Women\u2019s and Children\u2019s Hospital Foundation.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Channel Nine opportunity opened up doors for me,\u201d Lauren says.<\/p>\n

\u201cI also ended up producing two Credit Union Christmas Pageants, which was an incredible opportunity that sparked my love of producing large scale live events!\u201d<\/p>\n

As the Channel Nine journey came to an end, Lauren received a call out of the blue for another job in community television. Having not been on her radar, Lauren quickly realised that she was stepping into a hornet’s nest of business catastrophes and a Federal Government that were trying to pull them off air.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the time Channel 44 was located above the shops on Payneham Road, opposite the Maid and Magpie,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a ridiculously tiny office, with no air-conditioning, no hot water. You would open up the doors for fresh air and a truck would blow your papers off the desk!<\/p>\n

\u201cI felt an enormous weight when I first took over Channel 44 because I realised not only would I have to head up an entire community station but simultaneously lobby the Federal Government to save the broadcast licence. Everyday was an uphill battle but I knew I could impact real change once the ABC had said yes to us taking tenancy in their building because, we could then utilise the Collinswood studios that had been sitting empty since the cuts to the ABC.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow we\u2019ve (Channel 44) been tenants in the ABC building for nearly 10 years and work closely with ABC Radio to partner on events like the Royal Show\u201d<\/p>\n

Among their many community partnerships, Channel 44 supports Flinders University students through providing work-integrated learning placements. In 2023 the intern-produced show, led by Flinders screen student Maddison Siegertsz (BCreatArts(Screen) ’20), Couch 44, was nominated for seven Antenna Awards, winning Outstanding Direction in a Program and Best Youth Program.<\/p>\n

\u201cUni interns and volunteers play such an important role in community broadcasting, we help them up skill and provide them with real industry experience that gives them a tangible pathway to freelance paid work, which is why the universities have placed so much value on the partnership with us,\u201d Lauren says.<\/p>\n

In 2024, Lauren was involved in successfully lobbying for a Broadcasting Services Amendment (Community Television) Bill which now extends the traditionally short-term licenses of Channel 31 Melbourne and Channel 44 Adelaide until there is an alternative use for the radio frequency spectrum they occupy.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe licence might be secure but our lobbying isn\u2019t done, we still need to secure the prominence legislation which will allow our future smart TV app CTV+ to be accessible next to Australian streaming platforms such iview and SBS On Demand. We are excited about this opening up a whole new national future and resurgence for community TV on demand,\u201d Lauren says.<\/p>\n

In her (limited) spare time, Lauren has also produced multiple award-winning, sold-out Adelaide Fringe shows with Annabel Crabb, Leigh Sales, Adam Liaw and numerous other notable names. She is a delegate on the National Community Broadcasting Sector Roundtable and a board director for the South Australian Film Corporation.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhether it\u2019s producing a local event, a big live show or helping turn a TV idea into a reality, I get a great deal of satisfaction out of producing content and being able to share those vitally important local stories with audiences, \u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am immensely proud of what we have achieved so far but look forward to this new exciting era for community TV.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Lauren Hillman was awarded a 2024 Distinguished Alumni Award for distinguished leadership in the South Australian screen sector and for supporting emerging on-screen artists.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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