ABC Radio Australia

Radio, Print, and Online ABC & SBS Radio
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ABC Radio Australia focuses on women in the Pacific with Sistas, Let’s Talk

A unique 30-minute radio program and podcast focusing on women’s issues across the Pacific launches on ABC Radio Australia this Friday, 14 May.

Sistas, Let’s Talk will explore the issues affecting women across the Pacific region in an empowering, empathetic and straight-talking way.

Hosted by prominent PNG-born broadcaster Hilda Wayne (pictured below), the show will delve into the issues close to the hearts of women in the Pacific region, such as balancing traditional obligations with modern working practices; bride price; the gendered impacts of Covid in the Pacific; and women’s representation in political, economic and social life.

Women in the Pacific are underrepresented in all spheres of life, including in the media, and face significant and unique challenges including high rates of family violence and low levels of political representation. Sistas, Let’s Talk is designed to help to bridge that gap.

A flagship program for ABC Radio Australia, Sistas, Let’s Talk is staffed entirely by Pacific women, and is overseen by Justine Kelly, Executive Producer of ABC’s Audio Studios, which makes the award-winning podcast Ladies, We Need to Talk .

It will be unique in providing quality content designed especially for educated, modern Pacific women and the Pacific diaspora in Australia – a traditionally neglected audience, particularly in the target 20-40 age group.

Executive Producer Justine Kelly said, “I’m very excited to be part of a project that uncovers the unique and extraordinary stories of women across the pacific region and gives a platform to some of its least-heard voices.”

Claire M Gorman, Head of ABC International, said, “ABC Radio Australia is a trusted voice in the Pacific, connecting our neighbours in the Pacific region. We are delighted to be adding Sistas, Let’s Talk to our growing slate of Pacific-focused programs that contribute to the rich conversations about our shared Pacific region on ABC Radio Australia.”

Sistas Let’s Talk airs on ABC Radio Australia every Friday across the Pacific. It premieres on Friday 14 May 2021 at 3.30 pm PNG time, 4.30 pm in Fiji and 6.30 pm in Samoa. You can find it online at the ABC Radio Australia website.

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A restoration of Radio Australia on SW would be very welcome (even in remote Australia).

The ABC would be given $8 million a year extra from 2022-23 to expand transmission as well as provide media training for Pacific broadcasters. The focus would be on building audiences in the Pacific and south-east Asia, as well as develop new markets in south Asia.

As part of the broadcast strategy, a Labor government would consider restoring the ABC’s shortwave radio broadcasting in the Pacific.

Radio Australia axed its broadcasts in 2017, arguing the technology was outdated and money could be better spent. But the decision silenced a valuable tool for Australia to influence the region while allowing a Chinese station to take over the frequencies.

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Contacted their campaign team about remote coverage within Australia. Bad news. Not included.

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I think that RA would still be a welcome addition to the SW band in remote areas. The previous transmission to the South Pacific were well received.

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For some reason, my player randomly picked out an old Tony Delroy podcast the other day, and some theories crossed my mind why he retired when he did, but more the reasons why.

Remembering he announced his last show sometime at the end of July 2016, when he did then present his last program in the first week of September. I’ve never really been able to find anything online, but I would surmise the following scenario. This is when Tony Abbott was in power, and remembering his famous last words, “no cuts to the ABC”

What puzzled me at the time, was when Tony disappeared, so did much of his guests, I don’t know, it was weird. But the other day, the penny dropped, and highly suspect that there was much argy bargy between ABC management and Delroy himself, where they wanted to cut back on the program costs, most of this being the appearance fees for many of the guests. I would surmise this would have been about $1,000 for each program, as he had some pretty established, highly professionally qualified folk on every night.

So this would probably together with production expenses, make the program costs about $8,000 to $10,000 a week, making it about half a mil for a year. Half a million for a nationally operated radio show was an outlay that the rather tight Abbott government didn’t want to pay for, together with Delroy’s eventual desire to retire was I guess the final death wish for the late nights, the way we remember them. Philip Clark is good, but his program will never have the same feel.

yes, I know, I’m filling in many blanks here, and much guess work, but thought I would at least drop a few lines on my theories on why Delroy’s show ended when it did.

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SBS Gagana Samoan to be broadcast on ABC Radio Australia

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SBS Radio and ABC Radio Australia have launched a collaboration that will expand in-language news and information for audiences across the Pacific.

Under a new content-sharing agreement, SBS Radio content from the SBS Gagana Samoa program will be carried on Australia’s international broadcaster, ABC Radio Australia.

Claire M. Gorman, ABC Head of International Services, described the ABC/SBS collaboration as an important commitment to Pacific audiences.

“For more than 80 years, Radio Australia has been speaking with communities across the Pacific and our service has evolved to include online and digital platforms. This agreement with SBS will increase the availability of in-language content for the benefit of our Pacific audiences,” she said.

Under the agreement, SBS Gagana Samoan will be heard in the Samoan capital Apia and across the Pacific region on ABC Radio Australia.

Produced by SBS Radio in Sydney, the SBS Gagana Samoan team creates content for radio and online, from an Australian perspective across a range of issues important to Samoan language speakers.

David Hua, SBS Director of Audio and Language Content, said the multilingual public broadcaster was pleased to be partnering with ABC Radio Australia to help expand the reach of its content into the Pacific.

“We already see interest in our digital stories from outside of Australia and we are very pleased that content, such as SBS Samoan, will have an expanded reach across the Pacific under this arrangement.

“This deal sees both public broadcasters highlighting their various strengths and working together in a way which benefits overseas audiences with unique and trusted in-language content from an Australian perspective.”

For ways to listen to SBS Samoan news on ABC Radio Australia in countries across the Pacific region go to Radio Australia - Frequencies and on demand listening globally go to Radio Australia.

SBS Samoan language program can be heard 10pm-11pm every Wednesday and Sunday on SBS Radio, and as a podcast and on demand and via the SBS Radio app and at SBS Gagana Samoa.

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This is a fantastic collaboration between our national broadcasters. Needs to be more of it, great use of resources to ensure the widest audience who will benefit, hear it.

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ABC Radio Australia returns to the Republic of Marshall Islands

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ABC Radio Australia will be heard in the Republic of Marshall Islands for the first time in more than five years.

Under a new Memorandum of Understanding, ABC Radio Australia programs will be carried on the Republic of Marshall Islands’ national broadcaster, V7AB.

ABC Managing Director, David Anderson, said the new partnership is a first step towards the aim of establishing a full FM radio service in RMI: “Radio is a critical information source, especially where communities are scattered and remote. This initiative is an expression of the ABC’s commitment to Pacific audiences.”

Head of ABC International Services, Claire Gorman, acknowledged the support of the Australian Embassy in Majuro for brokering the agreement.

“The ABC is delighted to renew our relationship with RMI audiences and contribute to building links between Australia and countries across the Pacific,” she said.

Ms Gorman said ABC Radio Australia covers issues across Micronesia, Polynesia and Melanesia.

“We will be sharing a curated selection of programs made for, with and about Pacific communities. This agreement will extend access to ABC Radio Australia’s high-quality radio content across the region.”

Programs under the agreement include the flagship regional current affairs Pacific Beat and programs about gender empowerment, disaster preparedness, sport, music and general interest.

ABC Radio Australia programs can be heard on V7AB Radio Marshall Islands on AM Radio at 1098 kHz from Thursday 13 October 2022.

For ways to listen to ABC Radio Australia in countries across the Pacific region go to Ways to listen - ABC Pacific and on demand listening globally go to ABC Pacific.

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Pacific Break is back!

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The Pacific’s biggest music competition returns to ABC Radio Australia in 2022 with the winner to perform at the WOMADelaide Festival in March 2023.

ABC Radio Australia is proud to announce that following a pandemic hiatus, Pacific Break is back and bigger than ever before.

Pacific Break unearths the best original and unsigned talent from across the Pacific, showcasing them on ABC Radio Australia and at Australia’s largest international music festival, WOMADelaide.

ABC Head International Services Claire M Gorman said, “How exciting to see this important competition return. Past entries have been as diverse as the Pacific itself and we can’t wait to see what this year will bring, offering a career-changing opportunity to the lucky winner.”

ABC Radio Australia launched Pacific Break in 2008 when Vanuatu group 26 Roots took out the coveted first prize with their track Broken Promises.

The last time the competition was held in 2019, Papua New Guinean hip-hop artist Sprigga Mek won with his track Dodge The Bullet which he performed to fans at WOMADelaide in March 2020.

Other past winners include Emmanuel Mailau (PNG), III Kings (Solomon Islands), BSQ (Fiji) and Jaik Berg (Cook Islands).

According to Sprigga Mek, “Winning Pacific Break has definitely been one of the highlights of my career. I met lots of amazing people and artists and would recommend anyone out there to get their entry in, no matter how it has been recorded!”

Find out more about Pacific Break by visiting www.abc.net.au/pacificbreak

Submit your original track via one of the following ways;

  1. Visit ABC Pacific’s Facebook page and join the Pacific Break 2022 Entrants Group to upload your song
  2. Send to our dedicated Whatsapp +61 447 310 986
  3. Send via email to pacificbreak@abc.net.au

Entries are open until midnight on 27 November with the winner will to be announced on ABC Radio Australia’s Pacific Beat program on Thursday 8 December. The winning group or individual will be flown to Australia all-expenses-paid to perform at the WOMADelaide festival in Adelaide between 10 and 13 March.

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From ABC annual report

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The ABC has gained an increase of $83.7m in operational funding and $32m for international services funding across the next four years in tonight’s Federal Budget. Radio Australia will expand its transmission footprint using some of the additional money.

Annually the national broadcaster will be better off by $20.9m in operations and $8m for international services each year, allowing “significant investment in services across all platforms helping to fund rising costs affecting the media industry.”

ABC audiences around the country and across the Indo-Pacific region will directly benefit from the increase in funding, which will include 7 additional transmitters for Radio Australia.

The additional funding for international services will allow the ABC to:

  • Expand ABC Radio Australia’s FM footprint, adding up to seven additional FM transmitter locations to the 13 currently running across the Pacific and Timor Leste, and tailor our ABC Australia television service to suit Pacific and Asian time zones.
  • Create more content for audiences across the Indo-Pacific region including establishing a network of full-time local journalists and a pan-Pacific weekly video news program.
  • Enhance the capacity and development of media partners with training and activities covering basic professional development, for cadets through to leadership masterclasses, and in specialised subjects such as elections and emergency broadcasting.
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Australia let down again, no analogue or digital shortwave to cover the Australian landmass beyond AM sites.

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This thread is for the international network…

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Yes, because the last shortwave transmitter which provided coverage to remote areas closed five years ago.

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