ABC welcomes the launch of the Australian Government’s Indo-Pacific Broadcasting Strategy

16 July 2024

Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) Managing Director David Anderson has welcomed the launch of the Australian Government’s Indo-Pacific Broadcasting Strategy (IPBS) which calls out ABC International as a leading implementation partner. 

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Pre-empting the release of the strategy, the Federal Government provided an additional $32 million over four years in the October 2022 budget for ABC International to expand content production, transmission, and media assistance across the Indo-Pacific region. In the May 2023 budget, the Government announced a further $8.5 million over four years for regional transmission and distribution. 

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The ABC has invested this new funding to support the key pillars of the IPBS by boosting the availability of Australian content, deepening media connections and strengthening the resilience of media outlets in the region. The ABC’s work in this area continues to support mutual understanding of Australia and our region.  

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ABC Managing Director David Anderson welcomed the Government’s release of the much-anticipated strategy and said the ABC is “well-placed to deliver on its key pillars.” 

  

“No other Australian media organisation has the regional knowledge, relationships, distribution networks and platforms, and the development expertise necessary to fully deliver the IPBS’ aims that are in the national interest,” Mr Anderson said. 

 

ABC International Head Claire M. Gorman said: “The additional funding provided by the Federal Government under the IPBS is already being invested across the Indo-Pacific region by ABC International in a range of key areas including enhanced distribution networks, premium bespoke content for international audiences and high-impact media development programs.” 

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To date, the ABC has made significant progress on many deliverables outlined in the IPBS. Examples include: 

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ENHANCED DISTRIBUTION 

  • Over the past year, ABC International has launched new ABC Radio Australia 24-hour FM services in six strategic locations including Palau, Nauru, Tuvalu, Pohnpei (Federated States of Micronesia), Kokopo (Papua New Guinea) and Gizo (Solomon Islands) and will deliver new services in a further six locations in the second half of 2024. 

  • In October 2023, ABC International divided the previously single ABC Australia broadcast service into two separate schedules: one for the Pacific region and one for Asia, allowing the ABC to better serve audiences with content and time slots tailored to the respective regions. 

BESPOKE CONTENT 

  • In June 2023, ABC Radio Australia launched a new schedule, tripling its Pacific-focused content with bespoke programs including morning show Nesia Daily, sport show Nesian Footy, music shows In the Fale and On the Record, a special series of the popular podcast Days Like These and Stories from The Pacific, drawing audiences into the lives of Pacific Islanders who have seen and done amazing things.  

  • In the past 12 months, ABC International has delivered extensive multi-platform coverage across ABC Australia, ABC Radio Australia, ABC Pacific and ABC Asia of major elections in India, Indonesia, and the Solomon Islands, and coverage of regional events such as the 2023 Pacific Games in Honiara and the 2024 Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture in Hawai’i. 

  • Additionally, ABC Australia has broadcast two special election series this year – Indonesia Decides and India Votes 2024 – which were produced by ABC News’ Asia Pacific Newsroom for international audiences, delving into voter concerns and key political figures and providing insights beyond the headlines. 

  • Also, this year, ABC Australia launched Kids Club, a brand-new lineup of kids’ programming specially curated for Pacific audiences, on its Pacific service. 

  • In April 2023, ABC Australia launched a flagship pan-Pacific current affairs program, The Pacific, which covers the major news events in the region through the year and looks at the rich culture and history of the region. The program is supported by a network of experienced local journalists across the Pacific region. 

  • Over the past 12 months, ABC Australia has delivered programming targeting Indo-Pacific audiences, including special editions of ABC favourites Gardening Australia, Foreign Correspondent, Compass, Backroads and Landline as well as documentaries The Cloud Under the Sea on undersea telecommunications cables, Price of Progress: Indonesia’s Nickel Rush, Running Dry on water scarcity in Asia, and the two-part series Project Wild. 

MEDIA DEVELOPMENT 

  • Over the past 12 months, ABC International Development (ABCID), has launched the Indonesia Media Development Program focusing on digital storytelling, safety and resilience. 

  • ABCID has also launched the Timor-Leste Media Development Program to strengthen Timor-Leste’s media landscape. This program provides support to the media sector through technical and craft skills training. This support includes collaborating with the Timor-Leste Press Council and supporting the public broadcaster, Rádio e Televisão de Timor-Leste (RTTL), with the launch of a weekly English language news program. 

  • ABCID has developed the Media Education for Development and Information Access (MEDIA) platform, an invite-only online learning resource which offers modules on journalism, capacity-building courses and resources to individuals and partners across the Indo-Pacific, to complement in-person training and mentoring. 

The Government strategy document is available at: https://www.dfat.gov.au/sites/default/files/indo-pacific-broadcasting-strategy.pdf