Page 20 - IB JAN 2017

The Region
ABC ditches short wave radio

Cuts to undermine Australia’s reach

Michelle Guthrie. She came to the gov- Goodbye shortwave
ernment broadcaster after working in a There is increasing focus by media
range of media organisations in Europe organisations on measuring audiences
and Asia, including BSkyB, Star TV and by their access through websites and
Google. other digital platforms (computers, tablets,
In a speech last August, Guthrie outlined mobile phones etc.). The renewed focus
plans to expand the ABC’s international on FM radio and online services relies
reach through digital services, saying: “We on the growing spread of mobile phones
are closely considering way in which to throughout the Pacific.
increase our reach in the key markets of But the decision to close the shortwave
By Nic Maclellan China, Indonesia and the Pacific.” service comes with little communication
IN September 2016, New Caledonia and She noted: “In the Pacific, where there with audiences in the Pacific, and no
French Polynesia joined the Pacific Islands are quite different audience needs to Asia, detailed surveys of the number of people
Forum, further linking the francophone the focus is on exploring new distribution who rely on shortwave radio.
Pacific territories with their anglophone channels to reach people and an expanded Announcing the changes, ABC Interna-
neighbours. content offering for the region that would tional’s Lynley Marshall said. “An ever-
In February 2017, Radio Australia (RA) include English and Tok Pisin (or pidgin growing number of people in the region
will end its French language service for the English) audio content and an enhanced now have access to mobile phones with
Pacific. Great timing! Pacific Beat News service.” FM receivers and the ABC will redirect
At the same time, ABC International ABC International has developed the funds towards an extended content offer-
– the overseas service of the Australian Australia Plus online service, with Guthrie ing and a robust FM distribution network
Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) – will arguing that “its digital syndication and to better serve audiences into the future.”
end its shortwave radio broadcasting to partnership strategy has significantly Despite this, there is no timeline for the
the Pacific. The closure of shortwave will increased the ABC’s penetration in Asia expansion of an FM broadcasting network
also affect remote indigenous communi- and the Pacific.” in rural areas, even though shortwave
ties in the Northern Territory. The digital focus has led to new services services will end on 31 January.
These decisions, taken at a time of like the creation of “the Australia Plus In a statement, ABC’s Director of Radio
tightening budgets for Australia’s nation- expats app” (available in both iOS and Michael Mason said: “While shortwave
al broadcaster, are yet another sign of the Android), which can assist Australian technology has served audiences well for
lack of commitment to Pacific neighbours expatriates in the Pacific, but does little many decades, it is now nearly a century
by the largest member of the Forum. for the rural audiences that have long old and serves a very limited audience.
In his remarks to the 2016 Forum lead- relied on radio programming in Tok Pisin, The ABC is seeking efficiencies and will
ers meeting in Pohnpei, Prime Minister French and English. instead service this audience through
Malcolm Turnbull pledged: “My Govern- Lynley Marshall, the Chief Executive modern technology.”
ment recognises that Australia’s interests Officer of ABC International who has There is little evidence to back up the
in the region and the complexity of the been driving the focus on digital clicks, claim that shortwave radio broadcasting
challenges we face demands more en- will be leaving the ABC in February, just “serves a very limited audience” in the
gagement at every level, more integrated as shortwave broadcasting will be aban- islands. Islands Business approached the
policy and fresh ideas. We are committed doned. The current digital strategy will ABC for details of audience numbers in the
to a step-change in our engagement, to be especially benefit larger Asian nations like rural Pacific, but was told that the ABC has
guided by a new Pacific strategy.” China and Indonesia, but have significant not conducted any formal surveys of its
But the closure of ABC shortwave ser- impacts for the Pacific, which has much shortwave audience in the region.
vices is yet another example of the gap smaller audiences. Despite this, there is anecdotal evidence
between rhetoric and action. Ironically, Even the largest regional audience in that shortwave radio is still vital for outly-
the announcement came as Australian Papua New Guinea has been ill-served in ing communities, especially in Papua New
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop led a bi- recent years, with the loss of staff and live Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu,
partisan delegation around the region broadcasts in Tok Pisin. Today, RA relies in areas where digital technologies have
last month, pledging Australia’s ongoing on sending out packages of news and not penetrated. An informal call-out by
engagement with the region. current affairs for re-broadcast through RA’s Tok Pisin service in 2014 brought
provincial stations of the National Broad- responses from Choiseul, Santo, New
New digital priorities casting Corporation (NBC), New Dawn Ireland, New Britain, Bougainville and
Since May 2016, the Australian Broad- FM on Bougainville and Bougainville other locations, with 80 per cent of the
casting Corporation has been under the mobile FM. small sample of listeners using shortwave
leadership of a new Managing Director,

20 Islands Business, January 2017