On the box

Actively Radical TV — Sydney community television's progressive current affairs producers tackle the hard issues from the activist's point of view. CTS Sydney (UHF 31), every Thursday, 10pm and Saturday, 7pm. Ph 9565 5522.

Access News — Melbourne community TV, Channel 31, has excellent coverage of industrial, environmental and community actions throughout Victoria. Access News broadcasts every Monday at 8pm. Ph 9633 6976.

When the State Kills — A history of capital punishment and the changing public and official attitudes to it. This program questions the death penalty's effectiveness as a deterrent to serious crime. ABC-TV, Friday, April 9, 1.40am.

Torture Trail II: Business as Usual — This sequel details the disturbing undercover investigation into the illicit trade in weapons of torture between British companies and some of the most repressive regimes in the world. The program not only examines the British government's reaction to the issues raised in the original documentary and how it deflected inquiries, but details the substantial libel claim the film-maker Martyn Gregory won against the government and how he was threatened before the trial. SBS, Friday, April 9, 1.25pm.

Art From the Heart — In 1970, when a schoolteacher gave some elders in the desert community of Pupunya some paints and masonite boards, he unwittingly initiated a revolution in Australian art. Ceremonial designs that had been drawn in the sand or painted on bodies for thousands of years became sought after in the capitalist art market, changing Aboriginal art forever. From being a culture handed down through the generations, suddenly painting became a commodity, and the artists became dependent on the market to survive. ABC-TV, Tuesday, April 13, 8.30pm.

From GLW issue 355