Page 28 - IB Jan 2018

Media $US19.2m loss Sugar setback P32
Industry $US3,193.50 income for farmers

ADVERTORIAL SPORTS Islands Business
New voices for Pacific broadcasters Garrett, but has been quietly lobbying for
new staff and resources.
The announcement of the new Pacific
Shake up Mornings line up came a week before
Christmas, following inquiries by Islands
Business.
for Radio Richard Ewart and Bruce Hill, broadcast-
In 2017, Pacific Beat was hosted by
ing for two hours in the morning and an
hour in the afternoon. The new format,
Australia to commence on 22 January, will involve
four hours of Pacific programming from
6-10am. This will mix a shorter 25 minute
Pacific Beat programme, broadcast twice
during the morning, supplemented by the
ABC’s AM news programme and the new
generational change and the differing Pacific Mornings show.
preferences among different groups in our RA’s James O’Brien notes: “Seini and
community.” Tahlea will be doing more general pro-
By Nic Maclellan As well as the domestic changes, this gramming. When news breaks it will be
restructure affects international broad- there, but we also want to broaden out
THE Australian Broadcasting Corporation casting to the Pacific. Former TV producer our coverage, so it will include music, the
(ABC) is once again making changes that Kellie Mayo takes over as Managing Editor arts and culture. The combination of these
will affect broadcasting into the Pacific. two women working together is going to
From 22 January, ABC’s Radio Australia of ABC Asia Pacific News, while James produce a terrific radio offering.”
O’Brien serves as RA Manager.
(RA) will introduce a new Pacific Morn- O’Brien told Islands Business: “As O’Brien hope the new show will con-
ings programme, between 6am to 10am. part of the restructure of the ABC, Radio nect with Pasifika communities living in
In a significant change, the programme Australia was no longer part of ABC Inter- Australia: “I’m hoping that there will be
will be hosted by two women of Pacific a chance to have much more connection
island heritage, Seini Taumoepeau and national, but become part of ABC Radio.” between the domestic diaspora audience
The capacity of RA to report on the re-
Tahlea Auliitia. gion has been badly damaged by budget and with people in other countries. We’re
RA’s flagship news and current affairs cuts over the last five years. In 2014, the also re-launching the RA website in
programme Pacific Beat will be reduced to ABC lost its contract to manage Australia late January or early February, so these
25 minutes, with the morning show host- programmes will be available to listen
ed by Catherine Graue and the afternoon Network TV, with 80 TV and RA staff for seven days after the programme goes
losing their jobs, including dedicated Pa-
slot maintained by long time broadcaster cific correspondents like Sean Dorney and to air.”
Bruce Hill. Campbell Cooney. With ongoing competition for staff and
The changes to RA’s broadcasts come funding within the new ABC divisions,
after ABC managing director Michelle Foreign language broadcasting also lost it will be crucial for ABC bean-counters
Guthrie introduced a major restructure of key staff, affecting Tok Pisin broadcasts to understand the importance of broad-
to Papua New Guinea. French broadcasts
the national broadcaster. These changes to the Pacific were shut down - a striking casting to the region. The new staff are a
have seen the break-up of domestic radio decision just as New Caledonia and French welcome reversal of RA’s downward spiral,
and TV services, with key staff reallocated Polynesia were joining the Pacific Islands and it’s great to see Pacific women com-
to three new divisions: news, analysis and ing to the fore. But there are also complex
investigations; entertainment and special- Forum as full members! ABC’s New management and resource issues in play.
Zealand bureau was closed, leaving one
ist content; and regional and local content, dedicated ABC bureau in Port Moresby. Pacific Beat is managed by the News
focussed on Australia’s rural and regional At the time of the 2014 cuts, ABC and Current Affairs Division while Pacific
communities. There is a renewed focus on Chairman Jim Spieglman acknowledged: Mornings reports to ABC Radio. Pacific
digital programming and new shows to Mornings will come out of Sydney, in
attract a younger audience. This means “A particularly significant loss was the contrast to Pacific Beat and the Tok Pisin
considerable reduction in our specialist
keynote news programmes “The World journalist capacity….we lost something service, which are produced at the ABC’s
Today” and “PM” have been halved from like 1,000 years of journalist experience, Melbourne studios.
an hour to just 30 minutes. much of it specialised in Asia and the It will be interesting to see how the
ABC management has reacted defen- Sydney and Melbourne teams co-ordinate
sively to criticism that it is “dumbing Pacific.” their programming, with different lines
In January 2017, RA’s shortwave broad-
down” the network, replacing news and casting to indigenous Australia and the of management! Good luck to the new
current affairs with lifestyle programmes. Pacific was shut down. RA lost more staff Pacific team.
Judith Whelan, ABC’s Head of Spoken last year, including Fiji-born radio pro- -Disclosure: Nic Maclellan worked with the
Content argued: “It does not amount to a Pacific Beat programme between 2002-5.
‘dumbing down.’ Duration is not the only ducer and manager Clement Paligaru and r nicmaclellan@optusnet.com
long-time business correspondent Jemima
marker of quality….The changes recognise

28 Islands Business, January 2018