Radio New Zealand International has launched a weekday 30-minute programme exchange with the BBC Pacific service. The BBCs Pacific service now relays a bulletin of Pacific regional news and RNZIs Pacific current affairs programme Dateline Pacific which draws on the work of RNZIs staff and on stories filed by Pacific journalists from around the region. In exchange, RNZI broadcasts a BBC World news bulletin, followed by detailed BBC correspondents reports on the latest global news and a round-up of the latest in international Sport.
RNZI manager Linden Clark is delighted with the launch: “This will allow us to get more listeners for our flagship current affairs programme across the Pacific. Its also recognition of the relevance of the Dateline Pacific programme which is already relayed by Radio Australia around the region.” The RNZI programme is on the BBCs Pacific network of FM relays and satellite services.
RNZIs short-wave broadcasts cover the area from Papua New Guinea in the west across to French Polynesia in the east and all the countries in between. A new digital (DRM) short-wave service is just now being launched across the Pacific region with partner relaying radio stations in Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Fiji, Samoa, American Samoa, Tonga and Niue all now equipped with digital software receivers. More countries will be equipped so they can receive the new digital signal over the next few months.