RADIO AUSTRALIA - SENATE ENQUIRY (Ongoing)

RADIO AUSTRALIA - SENATE ENQUIRY

(Ongoing)

Last Friday, June 16, the Environment and Communications Legislation Committee met with representatives of interested parties to debate the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Amendment (Restoring Shortwave Radio) Bill 2017. The transcript of the meeting is now available at the Australian Parliament House website. The transcript is 41 pages long and quite detailed. Indeed, the four members of the committee present really did a great job of "grilling" each of the witnesses! The discussion was both thorough and broad. 

I'm not going to attempt to summarise the meeting, as the content is detailed and, at times, arguments presented were somewhat convoluted. Australian readers of the MEDXR blog may want to read the entire transcript to get a very good handle on the issues at play for why Radio Australia should be reinstated. However, it may take you a while to get through it (unless you are a speed reader). 

What IS interesting, however, is the thinking behind why international shortwave broadcasters exist - their purpose, target audiences, and the impact of "soft power" (soft diplomacy) on foreign nations.

For international readers of this blog, I recommend the following sections of the transcript:

From page 8 onwards: The two witnesses Mr Gary Baker (formerly district manager of RA at Shepparton) and Mr Nigel Holmes (formerly 20 years in ABC technical management in international broadcasting). Both gentlemen passionately argue well-structured reasons why RA and the Northern Territory services should be re-established. 

From page 17 onwards: Mr David Hua and Mr Michael Millett, both representing the ABC. These gentlemen pressed the case for why RA should not return to shortwave. The Committee questioned them in depth regarding their audience surveying practices, at one point describing their figures as "rubbery" at best! They were unable to provide many answers, preferring to "take that question on notice" by promising to supply the committee with the required information. Frankly, their performance was not very convincing and lacked the necessary preparation for such an enquiry! The committee should be congratulated for not letting them get away with lazy responses.

And if you have time...... From page 31 onwards: Mr Graeme Dobell (from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute). Some readers will be familiar with Mr Dobell's name as a prominent RA journalist in the South Pacific region for many years. 

The transcript is only a proof copy at present - there are a few minor errors of typing and terminology. I suggest you download the pdf to your computer desktop for easier viewing. The link is:

PUBLIC HEARING - June 16, 2017 - Australian Broadcasting Corporation Amendment (Restoring Shortwave Radio) Bill 2017  

73 and happy reading (.....or not!)

Rob Wagner VK3BVW

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