FOREIGN MINISTER PRESSES ABC OVER DECISION

FOREIGN MINISTER PRESSES ABC OVER DECISION

A news report from the SBS network indicates that perhaps the recent noise over the closure of Radio Australia is starting to arouse the interest of Australia's Foreign Minister, Julie Bishop! She is currently on a visit of the Solomon Islands, Samoa and Vanuatu for a series of high level meetings relating to economic issues, disaster risk management and regional priorities. Three other parliamentarians are accompanying her on this tour. This comes at a time when some leaders of Pacific nations are openly questioning Australia's commitment to the region by the impending closure of the shortwave service.

The SBS article by Stefan Armbruster is entitled "Bishop presses ABC on Pacific ‘concerns’ over shortwave radio cut".

Australia’s foreign minister Julie Bishop has raised the Pacific region’s “concerns” about the ABC’s planned abolition of Radio Australia’s shortwave service with the national broadcaster and will “seek an update in the New Year”.

A chorus of criticism from the Pacific greeted the decision to pull the plug on the almost eight decades of broadcasting on January 31, with warnings it would deprive the region of “life saving” information.

Radio Australia shortwave reaches parts of the Pacific lacking FM radio or the internet, from the isolated Papua New Guinea Highlands to remote atolls, and is especially valued during natural disasters and political upheavals.

News of the end of ABC shortwave came a week before the foreign minister called for public submissions on a new Australian foreign policy White Paper due mid-next year - the first in 13 years - to be complemented by a ‘Pacific Strategy’ being developed by DFAT.

“I am aware of concerns regarding more remote parts of the Pacific where alternative services may not be readily available,” Ms Bishop said in a statement to SBS.

“These concerns have been shared with the ABC and the Australian Government will seek an update in the New Year.”

The ABC in a statement said, “the Foreign Minister’s office were fully briefed on this strategy and the changes before they were announced”.

“Consultation between the Government and the ABC is ongoing. However the Government has accepted the rationale for the decision.

“DFAT has been very supportive of this decision and the strategy behind it.”



So, what does this mean??? Is Bishop really concerned about the closure? Or is she suddenly showing feint interest because of her Pacific visit? If what the ABC says is correct that “the Foreign Minister’s office were fully briefed on this strategy and the changes before they were announced”, then is Bishop having a rethink about the closure, or is she setting up a smoke screen while discussions are underway with Pacific leaders?

The article also points out:

FM radio in the Pacific is limited to some urban areas and access to internet streaming is beset by poor coverage, low bandwidth and the high data costs for some of the poorest countries in the world.

Many regular Radio Australia listeners will know the name Sean Dorney. He is the popular former ABC Pacific correspondent and regularly heard on Radio Australia for many years. Dorney has criticised senior management's position of “nobody in Sydney listens to shortwave!”.

In the article, Dorney is reported to have said: “It reveals how little we understand the Pacific and Radio Australia has been slaughtered by management for no reason since the ABC lost the Australia Network international television service contract from DFAT two years ago.”

Also quoted in the article is a Tongan academic and politician:

Tongan academic and politician Sitiveni Halapua told Radio New Zealand International, which has also wound back its shortwave service, modern technology will not replace the vacuum created by the ABC.

"We talk about social media, internet and other forms of modern technology, of communication, but in fact most of these, if not all, are not available, not accessible to the outer islands,” he said.

“Radio remains the number one so I think and I believe it is not really good news.”


Read the full article by Stefan Armbruster at the SBS website: Bishop presses ABC on Pacific ‘concerns’ over shortwave radio cut

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73 and have a great holiday season everyone!

Rob Wagner VK3BVW

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