It wasn't until the late 1980s that Australian community television stations received broadcasting licences. This clip shows a 1987 demonstration, filmed by Sydney-based community organisation Metro Screen.

Clad in homemade television headpieces made from cardboard, the protesters gather outside a luncheon attended by the then Minister for Communications – they later note that the cost of the lunch could run a low-powered public television station for a week.

Along with showcasing attention-grabbing protest tactics, the footage reveals public concern over media consolidation during the era. Interviews, chants and a glimpse at the demonstration signs reveal that tensions were rising over television and radio broadcasts being controlled by a small pool of commercial stations. The protest also reflects concern over the dominance of US media in Australia.

Metro Screen was a not-for-profit film, television and digital media training organisation that was incorporated in 1981 and shut down in 2015.