ABC celebrates Papua New Guinea’s 50 years of independence

13 September 2025

ABC celebrates Papua New Guinea’s 50 years of independence

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is programming a rich slate of commemorative content across its screen, audio and news channels for Papua New Guinea’s (PNG) 50 years of independence on 16 September.

ABC teams have worked for more than 18 months, to produce the range of content which explores Australia’s colonial legacy in PNG, and PNG’s first 50 years as a unified, independent nation.

Content highlights of the ABC’s coverage in Australia and across the Indo-Pacific include;

A 60-minute screen and audio documentary Wan Kantri: The Next 50 Years, examines the history, spirit and diverse traditions of PNG’s people, deeply connected to their roots and confidently looking to the future. The film was produced by ABC International Services in conjunction with PNG’s National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) and supported under the DFAT-funded Media Development Initiative, with ABC Backroads’ Kathy McLeish as Executive Producer and NBC’s Maureen Orea hosting.
A 60-minute screen documentary PNG: Road to Independence tells the gripping story of the PNG-born leaders who united culturally and linguistically diverse tribes in a peaceful transition from Australian colonial rule to give birth to their new nation. The film is an ABC co-production from WildBear Entertainment, written and directed by PNG-born journalist, filmmaker and former ABCNEWS Director Max Uechtritz.
An 11-part series of audio and screen mini-documentaries titled Pasin Wantok, produced in collaboration with NBC, explores first-hand PNG’s diverse cultures and traditions, which remain strong in a rapidly modernising nation.
A 30-minute special edition of ABC Australia’s The Pacific, reflects on 50 years of nationhood — the successes and the challenges — and what’s next for PNG.
ABC Radio Australia’s flagship daily current affairs program Pacific Beat will broadcast live from PNG’s capital Port Moresby, covering the action all week from Monday 15 to Friday 19 September meanwhile weekday morning program Nesia Daily will also broadcast live from Brisbane’s popular PNG 50th Independence Celebration on Saturday 13 September.
ABC Pacific’s homepage, Facebook and Instagram are carrying highlights from Pasin Wantok, Voices of Independence, Wan Kantri: The Next 50 Years, PNG: Road to Independence as well as a curation of materials from the ABC Archives.
ABC NEWS’ Port Moresby bureau will deliver in-country independence coverage for ABC NEWS channels alongside dedicated segments for flagship current affairs program, 7.30.
ABC Education will release an educational “digibook” for Australian and PNG students to learn about the period, featuring key moments from PNG: Road to Independence with accompanying questions.
60-minute special edition of ABC Australia’s That Pacific Sports Show, filmed in Port Moresby, with host Sam Wykes and special guest co-hosts Nesia Daily’s Michael Chow and award-winning PNG-based sports journalist Jamie Haro. The episode explores how sport unites the people of PNG and celebrates PNG’s sporting prowess today and into the future.

ABC Managing Director Hugh Marks said: “The ABC stands with PNG in celebrating its rich history, culture and journey to independence. We are delighted to be offering a broad spectrum of content across our channels, underscoring the historic moment’s importance for Papua New Guinea and Australia.”

ABC International Head Claire M. Gorman said: “We are incredibly proud of the ABC’s commemorative content slate, much of it produced in collaboration with PNG’s public broadcaster, the NBC. It is creative, poignant and most importantly centres the voices of PNG in its storytelling.”

ABC’s PNG’s independence anniversary content and coverage will be available in Australia on ABCTV, ABC NEWS Channel, iview and ABC listen and internationally on ABC Australia, ABC Radio Australia and ABC Pacific.

Australian audiences can access PNG 50 Years content here;

ABC TV

PNG: Road to Independence – 1 x 60-minute documentary
Tuesday 16 September at 21:00 AEST
Wan Kantri: The Next 50 Years – 1 x 60-minute documentary
Wednesday 17 September at 11:00 AEST
7.30: Journey to Sovereignty – 1 x package
Tuesday 16 September at 19:30 AEST

iview

PNG: Road to Independence – 1 x 60-minute documentary
Tuesday 16 September from 07:00 AEST
Wan Kantri: The Next 50 Years – 1 x 60-minute documentary
Tuesday 16 September from 14:00 AEST
That Pacific Sports Show: PNG Independence 50th Anniversary – 1 x 60-minute special
Wednesday 17 September at 18:30 AEST
The Pacific: PNG Anniversary Special – 1 x 30-minute episode
Thursday 18 September at 18:30 AEST
Pasin Wantok – 11 x mini-documentaries
Sunday 14 September at 12:00 AEST
Voices of Independence – 10 x short-form episodes
Sunday 14 September at 12:00 AEST

ABC RADIO NATIONAL

Late Night Live, Saturday Extra, Sunday Extra and Law Report will carry special coverage of PNG 50 Years of Independence commemorations on ABC RN.
Wan Kantri: The Next 50 Years – 1 x 60-minute documentary
Monday 15 September from 14:00 AEST on History Showcase

ABC NEWS

7.30, The World, ABC News Breakfast and ABC NEWS Channel will carry special coverage of PNG’s 50 Years commemorations.

ABC PACIFIC

For ongoing PNG 50 Years coverage and content, go to ABC Pacific’s homepage, Facebook and Instagram which will carry highlights from Pasin Wantok, Voices of Independence, Wan Kantri: The Next 50 Years, PNG: Road to Independence and an ABC-NBC coproduced social media video, as well as material from the ABC Archives.

ABC EDUCATION

PNG: Road to Independence “digibook” available here from Tuesday 16 September.

International audiences can access PNG 5o Years content here;

ABC AUSTRALIA

Wan Kantri: The Next 50 Years – 1 x 60-minute documentary
Tuesday 16 September at 14:00 AEST and repeated at 20:00 AEST
PNG: Road to Independence – 1 x 60-minute documentary
Monday 15 September at 14:00 AEST and repeated at 20:00 AEST
Pasin Wantok – 11 x short-form videos
From Tuesday 2 September
Voices of Independence – 10 x short-form videos
From Thursday 11 September
That Pacific Sports Show: PNG Independence 50th Anniversary – 1 x 60-minute special
Wednesday 17 September at 18:30 AEST
The Pacific: PNG Anniversary Special – 1 x 30-minute episode
Thursday 18 September at 18:30 AEST

ABC RADIO AUSTRALIA

Nesia Daily – Independence Day Special Live from PNG 50 Years of Independence Festival
Saturday 13 September at 10:00 AEST
Wan Kantri: The Next 50 Years – 1 x 60-minute documentary
Tuesday 16 September at 13:00 AEST and repeated at 18:00 AEST
Pasin Wantok – 11 x 10-minute mini documentaries
From Monday 1 to Tuesday 16 September, at 7.40am AEST
Voices of Independence – 2 x 30-minute episodes
Tuesday 16 and Wednesday 17 September at 16:00 AEST
Pacific Beat: PNG Independence Coverage
Monday 15 September to Friday 19 September from 06:00 AEST

ABC PACIFIC

For ongoing PNG 50 Years coverage, go to ABC Pacific’s homepage, Facebook and Instagramwhich will carry highlights from Pasin Wantok, Voices of Independence, Wan Kantri: The Next 50 Years, PNG: Road to Independence and an ABC-NBC coproduced social media video, as well as material from the ABC Archives.

ABCID launches international media networking platform

13 August 2025

ABCID launches international media networking platform

The Indo-Pacific Media Network launches this week (11 August 2025), linking “alumni” from ABC International Development (ABCID) programs and creating a dynamic way for journalists and media professionals in Asia and the Pacific to exchange ideas, build relationships and identify career development opportunities.

The Network will operate via a newly created private Facebook Group and is open to anyone who has participated in ABCID programs.

ABCID Manager Jo Elsom said, “We are building a cross-border community to harness the unlimited potential of approximately 6,000 media professionals across 23 countries in the Indo-Pacific region who have been part of ABCID programs since 2020.

“This will be a dedicated space for ongoing learning and professional development, where media professionals who are passionate about serving their communities and the public interest can lean on each other to navigate industry challenges such as information integrity, skills development, business sustainability, artificial intelligence and mis- and disinformation.”

ABCID will manage the network, developed in consultation with media from 10 countries in Asia and the Pacific. ABCID supports leaders, journalists, content makers, broadcast technicians and media organisations working in news, sport, content production, behaviour change communications and media sector development.

Learn more about how to join the Indo-Pacific Media Network here.

Prof. Mehmet Zahid Sobacı Reappointed as the Director General of TRT

16 July 2025

Prof. Mehmet Zahid Sobacı Reappointed as the Director General of TRT

Prof. Mehmet Zahid Sobacı has been reappointed as the Director General of the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT), a role he has held since July 2021. Following his reappointment, Prof. Sobacı stated, “As we have done over the past four years, we will continue to work to advance our accomplishments in this new term.”

Before taking up his position at Türkiye’s public service broadcaster, Prof. Sobacı served for three years as Deputy Head of the Directorate of Communications at the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye. Additionally, he chaired the Board of Directors of the Press Advertising Agency between 2019 and 2021.

A prominent member of the Association for International Broadcasting (AIB), TRT is also a member of various international broadcasting organizations such as the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the African Union of Broadcasting (AUB), the Mediterranean Center for Audiovisual Communication (CMCA), the Permanent Conference of the Mediterranean Audiovisual Operators (COPEAM), Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU) and the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU), where Sobacı is the president since 2023.

BBC’s global news coverage drives audience growth

15 July 2025

BBC’s global news coverage drives audience growth

BBC News grew its global audience by 4 million people in 2024/25

The BBC’s coverage of international conflicts, crises and elections has boosted its international audience year-on-year to reach 418m people on average every week. The total BBC audience, including content made and distributed by BBC Studios, grew by 3m to 453m.

Audiences went to BBC News for the latest news and developments as elections, global conflicts and political unrest dominated the past year. The majority of the BBC’s international audience came to the BBC World Service (World Service English, World Service Languages) with content reaching 313m people on average every week.

In the Middle East, BBC News Arabic grew its weekly audience reach to 39.5m – up nearly 13% – with growth across Arabic TV and digital programming as well as 1.2m listeners tuning into the Gaza and Syrian lifeline radio services. The fall of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and the Israel-Gaza conflict both contributed to significant boosts in audiences seeking trusted news and information.

BBC News Persian saw audiences rise a staggering 38% to 24m as Persian-speakers in Iran and around the world sought out the latest news amid unrest in the region. Despite the challenges of reaching audiences across Iran, the service’s TV channel – the largest international news channel in Iran – is viewed by a record audience of 14m. The BBC now reaches one in four people in Iran every week.

In the United States, the November election and subsequent news around President Trump saw spikes in the number of people coming to BBC News. Audiences increased on digital platforms with the country accounting for 55% of growth on BBC.com

With BBC World Service language services BBC News Brasil and BBC News Mundo also both experiencing audience boosts, the BBC now reaches 83m people across the Americas every week.

Other services which saw a spike in audiences include BBC News Bangla following the protests and unrest in Bangladesh, and BBC News Korean as the service reported on political upheaval in the country.

The BBC remains the most trusted international news provider.

Jonathan Munro, Global Director and Deputy CEO, BBC News, said: “In the past year, the heightened global news agenda has seen audiences come to the BBC for news they can trust in times of instability and insecurity. Despite the decrease in press freedom and increased competition, the BBC has stepped up when audiences need our services the most – from elections and conflict, to the upheaval in Syria and unrest in Bangladesh.

“Alongside this, record numbers are coming to BBC News Persian despite the service being banned in Iran, and BBC News Arabic has once again demonstrated the importance of having an accurate and impartial news service in the region.”

The BBC’s news in English across World Service English, BBC.com and the BBC News channel grew its audience to 198m people weekly, an increase of 7m year-on-year. The BBC News channel built on its success last year to grow its audience in the UK and around the world to 102m.

Press freedom continues on a downward trend globally, with 112 countries reporting a decline in press freedom in 2024. 74% of the BBC World Service audience is now in countries with the lowest press freedom (up 1% on last year).

The BBC’s biggest international market is India, followed by the United States, Nigeria, Iran, and Tanzania.

France Médias Monde’s institutional website is now available in English

27 June 2025

France Médias Monde’s institutional website is now available in English

In addition to its French-language version, France Médias Monde has launched an institutional website in English, showcasing the group in all its components and specificities.

The website presents the group’s organisation (governance, locations and global presence, financing, key figures, etc.) and its international public service missions (global information, promotion of the French language, broadcasting in 21 languages, culture and support for talent, education and young audiences, cooperation and training, etc.). It also highlights its CSR commitments.

A large part of France Médias Monde’s institutional website is dedicated to presenting the group’s three media outlets – RFI, France 24, and Monte Carlo Doualiya – as well as its pureplayer offerings, including ENTR and InfoMigrants. Each dedicated page provides information about their editorial programming, languages, modes of reception, audience figures, and the teams that make their success possible. France Médias Monde’s independence, the transparency of its organisation, as well as its ethical framework, are also at the heart of the new institutional website.

Designed to serve as a crossroads to France Médias Monde’s entire digital ecosystem, the new website is linked to the dedicated pages of all three media outlets within the group, as well as to its various other digital platforms (HR site, advertising sales, CFI, Académie France Médias Monde, RFI Instrumental, RFI Musique, public procurement platform, online pressroom, etc.).

In line with France Médias Monde’s commitment to digital sobriety, the institutional website was built with an eco-design approach. An eco mode offers a more restrained browsing experience, while the limited use of colours and the simplicity of functions and content help reduce screen energy consumption.

A SITE DESIGNED FOR ACCESSIBILITY

France Médias Monde is committed to making its corporate website accessible to persons with disabilities. The website has been designed from the beginning with inclusion in mind, to guarantee a fluid, accessible experience for every visitor (easy navigation through a simple arborescence, attention to web accessibility standards). Following an audit carried out last May, which led to a series of technical improvements, France Médias Monde’s corporate website achieved a 94% compliance rate with the criteria of the RGAA (French general guidelines for improving accessibility of websites).

[Source: FMM press release]

BBC announces subscription service for USA

26 June 2025

BBC announces subscription service for USA

BBC Studios and BBC News has launched the first phase of a pay model for BBC.com visitors in the U.S., offering its most loyal users a premium experience and a new way to enjoy even more of the BBC’s acclaimed journalism and storytelling.

In the initial phase of the launch, for less than $1 a week ($49.99/year) or $8.99/month, users who join will get unlimited access to the BBC’s news articles, feature stories and the 24/7 livestream of the BBC News channel. In the coming months as we test and learn from audience consumption, ad-free documentary series and films (including the full BBC Select documentary catalogue), ad-free and early release podcasts, and exclusive newsletters and content will be included in the offer. This pay model launch supports BBC Studios’ ongoing effort to grow international commercial revenue that helps fund the BBC’s journalism and storytelling and delivers greater value for the licence fee.

Following a period of significant investment in technology and journalism, BBC.com relaunched last year and has seen double-digit year-on-year growth. Today, BBC.com reaches 139 million visitors globally, including nearly 60 million in the U.S. alone.

Rebecca Glashow, CEO BBC Studios Global Media & Streaming said: “Over three years ago, we set out on a bold mission: to completely reimagine how we deliver the BBC’s world-class news and factual content to consumers in the U.S.. Our goal? To serve our audiences better than ever before—and unlock new opportunities for growth. Today, the next phase of that vision becomes reality. We’re bringing more of the BBC’s trusted, high-quality content together in one powerful, easy-to-access destination. Over the next few months, as we test and learn more about audience needs and habits, additional long-form factual content will be added to the offer for paying users. This is a major milestone and just the beginning of an exciting new chapter.”

Deborah Turness, CEO, BBC News said: “Through our partnership with BBC Studios we are growing our audiences in North America – providing more people with news they can trust at a time of dramatic global uncertainty.”

BBC.com is employing a dynamic pay model—an intelligent, engagement-based pay model trusted by leading news publishers globally. All users visiting the site from within the U.S. will be assessed based on how they interact with our content, including how much they read and how long they stay.

This approach allows casual readers to explore freely, while offering our most engaged users the opportunity to unlock even more. By opting to pay, readers gain unlimited access to all the site’s content. It’s a premium experience designed to keep visitors informed and connected—while directly supporting the future of independent, fact-based reporting.

Visitors who choose not to pay will still have access to select global breaking news stories, BBC Radio 4 and BBC World Service radio livestreams, BBC World Service Languages sites, and a variety of free newsletters and podcasts.

The site will remain ad-supported, providing global brand partners with continued opportunities to connect with the BBC.com audience in impactful and meaningful ways.

The website, which is commercially funded and operates separately from other BBC platforms in the UK, identifies users based on their device’s geolocation, an industry standard practice to ensure compliance with the laws and content rights restrictions in each country. UK Licence Fee payers travelling to the U.S. for holiday or work can access their usual content via the BBC News app, as long as they’ve downloaded the latest versions from the UK app stores before travelling.

There will be no change to the services that people in the UK will receive and have access to. All the content that’s available on BBC.com is also available to UK audiences through the BBC’s various channels and services. There are no current plans to introduce a pay model outside of North America.

About BBC Studios

The main commercial arm of BBC Commercial Ltd, BBC Studios generated revenues in the last year of £1.8 billion and a third consecutive year of profits of over £200 million. Able to take an idea seamlessly from thought to screen and beyond, the business is built on two operating areas: the Content Studio, which produces, invests and distributes content globally and Media & Streaming, with BBC branded channels, services including bbc.com and Britbox International and joint ventures in the UK and internationally. The business made more than 2,800 hours of award-winning British programmes last year for a wide selection of public service and commercial broadcasters and platforms, both in the UK and across the globe. Its content is internationally recognised across a broad range of genres and specialisms, and includes world-famous brands like Strictly Come Dancing/Dancing with the Stars, the Planet series, Bluey and Doctor Who.