ABC grows international audience

4 June 2025

ABC grows international audience

The reach of ABC content offshore has risen strongly in the first three months of 2025 with more than 11 million people outside Australia engaging and consuming ABC content across TV, radio, digital and social media.

Engagement across ABC International social sites jumped 111 per cent, led by ABC Pacific on Facebook, with around 570,000 people engaging with ABC International social content each month.

Pageviews for ABC International websites are up almost 50 per cent and total followers of ABC International accounts increased by about 3 per cent to 6.3 million.

ABC Radio Australia podcast downloads are also up in all countries except the US in quarter one of 2025 compared to last year.

According to the most recent available sources, ABC Australia TV attracts more than 10.5 million monthly viewers and ABC Radio Australia reaches more than 360,000 listeners.

The ABC Pacific Facebook page and Instagram accounts were particularly strong performers, with the key indicators of posts, impressions, video views and engagements increasing compared to the same quarter last year.

ABC International Head Claire M Gorman said: “We’re thrilled by the latest audience results across our digital platforms and linear broadcast networks.

“The ABC’s strong international audience growth demonstrates the impact of additional Government funding under the Indo-Pacific Broadcasting Strategy in developing improved distribution networks and producing high-quality, bespoke content that reflects the diversity of stories across the region.”

Threats to BBC News Persian journalists continuing

2 June 2025

Threats to BBC News Persian journalists continuing

The BBC has issued this statement:

There has been a sharp and deeply troubling escalation in the persecution of BBC News Persian journalists in the UK and their families in Iran over recent months. This campaign of intimidation, orchestrated by the Iranian authorities, has intensified in both scale and severity.

BBC News Persian journalists – alongside other Iranian journalists based in the UK and around the world – face serious extraterritorial threats from the Iranian authorities. These threats have consistently extended to their families in Iran, who have been subjected to a sustained campaign of intimidation. However, the BBC is now witnessing a surge of arbitrary interrogations, travel bans, passport confiscations, threats of asset seizures directed at the family members of BBC News Persian journalists – marking a significant and increasingly alarming escalation.

Tim Davie, BBC Director-General, says: “In addition to enduring personal security threats from Iranian state actors operating beyond Iran’s borders, BBC News Persian journalists are now witnessing a disturbing rise in the persecution of their family members inside Iran. These acts are clearly designed to exploit family ties as a means of coercion – pressuring our journalists to abandon their work or return to Iran under false pretences.

“We call on the Iranian authorities to immediately cease this campaign of intimidation and to stop targeting journalists with violence, threats, and psychological warfare. This persecution is a direct assault on press freedom and human rights. It must end now.”

The BBC is preparing to lodge a new complaint with the UN Human Rights Council Special Procedures mandate-holders, calling on Iran to cease its campaign of persecution of BBC journalists and their families.

ABC signs MoU with KBS during ABU Admin Council meeting

29 May 2025

ABC signs MoU with KBS during ABU Admin Council meeting

ABC Managing Director Hugh Marks has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Korean Broadcasting System (KBS), endorsing the commitment of the two public broadcasters to collaborate and partner across future endeavours.

Hugh Marks said: “South Korea is a cultural powerhouse and its public broadcaster KBS is a leading provider of high-quality content across its varied platforms. It is important for the ABC to work closely with our regional partners, in particular public service media organisations, and to look for ongoing opportunities to exchange content and information to improve our respective services and audience offerings.

“The ABC also congratulates KBS for the Korean parliament’s recent legislating of an integrated licence fee which will ensure KBS’ ongoing financial stability and the provision of its essential services.”

The MoU was signed during the ABU Administrative Council meeting that the ABC hosted in Sydney. ABC International welcomed media leaders for the meeting, held on 8 and 9 May in Sydney.

Alongside ABU Secretary General Ahmed Nadeem, ABC International leadership hosted leaders from Korean Broadcasting System (KBS), Nippon Hoso Kyokai, Japan (NHK), MTV Channel (Pvt) Limited, Sri Lanka, Vanuatu Broadcasting and Television Corporation (VBTC), Prasar Bharati, India (PB), Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI), Radio Television Malaysia (RTM), Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK), Teledifusao de Macau, S.A. (TDM), Television Broadcasts Limited, Hong Kong, China (TVB), Radio and Television of the People’s Republic of China (RTPRC), Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) and The Voice of Vietnam (VOV) for high-level discussions about the ABU’s finances, administration and policies.

ABC International Head Claire M. Gorman said: “It is a great honour and responsibility to be part of the Administrative Council and to host this year’s meeting. We thank the ABU and its members for this opportunity to meet and discuss how we can strengthen regional co-operation and work collaboratively as media and broadcasters in our countries and internationally.”

RNZ continues to build trust in its 100th year

29 May 2025

RNZ continues to build trust in its 100th year

RNZ has improved its trust result by 7 points in only six months.

The growth in trust was captured in RNZ’s latest audience survey by Verian Research, which featured a larger sample of 2000 New Zealanders. In the survey 56% agree RNZ is an organisation you can trust – up from 49% on the previous result.

RNZ Chief Executive and Editor-in-Chief Paul Thompson said RNZ had a strategic focus on lifting trust levels, so it was a great to see the improvement. It is further supported by the recent AUT research report which identified RNZ is New Zealand’s most trusted news brand.*

Other results from the survey show 78% believe it’s important to have a public broadcaster (up two points and the highest results RNZ has achieved) and 64% believe RNZ provides a valuable service (up three points and again the highest result RNZ has achieved to date).**

Thompson said public recognition of the value of RNZ in its 100^th year was pleasing and the organisation remained focused on how it could deliver more outstanding public media content.

Overall, 79% of all New Zealanders consume RNZ content each month through its channels and via its content sharing strategy with other media outlets. RNZ has had strong growth across its digital platforms with its website visits for April 2025 up 400,000 from a year ago and time spent increasing from 24 minutes to 42 minutes. However, it has experienced a decline in some of its live radio ratings.

Results in live radio, measured through the GfK Commercial Radio Survey show RNZ’s combined share (RNZ National and RNZ Concert) for Survey 1 2025 at 10.6% compared to 11.6% from the last survey,
RNZ National’s audience 10+ is 467,700 in a typical week (489,600 in the last survey),
RNZ Concert’s audience 10+ is 162,300 in a typical week (156,000 in the last survey).  

Thompson said RNZ has a large and loyal audience and live radio remains important part of RNZ’s stable.

“Over recent months we have worked hard to introduce improvements to RNZ National, and we will continue to do so, starting with Nights in June. We want to make sure we deliver highly quality, compelling, and informative content to our audiences.”

Thompson said while RNZ had a responsibility to provide regional, national and international news and current affairs under its Charter, the organisation is looking more at how it delivers this on live radio while growing connection with its audience.

“We are making some changes to our nightly schedule from next month that allow for more time in the early evening for live radio, for host interaction and discussion. Our research has shown that listening to live radio at nights is all about connection and we have a lot of talent to draw on to foster that sense of connection and community which is at the heart of live radio.”

BBC D-G says it’s a “catalyst for building trust”; IP switchover by 2030s

15 May 2025

BBC D-G says it’s a “catalyst for building trust”; IP switchover by 2030s

In his speech titled “The BBC – A Catalyst for Building Trust,” delivered on May 14, 2025, at the Lowry Theatre in Salford, BBC Director-General Tim Davie outlined the broadcaster’s pivotal role in addressing the UK’s growing “crisis of trust” and detailed plans for transitioning from traditional broadcasting to internet-based delivery

The BBC as a Catalyst for Building Trust

Davie emphasised that trust is foundational to a cohesive and democratic society. He highlighted the BBC’s commitment to being an impartial and reliable source of information amid increasing disinformation and societal polarisation. To reinforce this role, the BBC plans to expand its fact-checking service, BBC Verify, and enhance media literacy by providing children with lessons about disinformation. Additionally, the BBC aims to increase scrutiny of local politicians to ensure accountability.

Transitioning to Internet-Based Broadcasting

Looking ahead, Davie proposed a national plan for transitioning from traditional terrestrial and satellite broadcasting to internet-based (IP) delivery in the 2030s. As part of this initiative, the BBC is collaborating with other public service broadcasters—ITV, Channel 4, and Channel 5—to develop an internet-connected streaming device. This device is intended to provide free access to live broadcasts and on-demand content, ensuring that audiences, particularly those less familiar with digital technology, can navigate the shift to online services.

Davie acknowledged concerns regarding the affordability and accessibility of this transition, especially for older viewers. He stressed the importance of making the shift inclusive and accessible to all segments of the population.

Read the full speech here.

Legal win for RFE/RL over April Funding

14 May 2025

Legal win for RFE/RL over April Funding

In Legal Win, RFE/RL Receives April Funding; Lawsuit Continues for Remainder of FY 2025 Funds

On 13 May, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) received its overdue congressionally appropriated funds for the month of April. During the six-week delay, RFE/RL was forced to reduce vital programming and staff, depriving audiences in closed societies of news and information about the world.

The U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) released $12 million after the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit administratively stayed an earlier decision by a divided three-judge panel of that court that had allowed USAGM to avoid complying with a district judge’s temporary restraining order requiring USAGM to pay RFE/RL its April funds. The move gives the full appeals court time to reconsider the three-judge panel’s reasoning.

In his April 29 order, Judge Royce Lamberth of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia emphasized that Congress enacted, and President Trump signed, a law funding RFE/RL this fiscal year. He wrote: “It is, after all, Congress that makes the laws in this country. In this case, for example, it was Congress who ordained that the monies at issue should be allocated to RFE/RL.”

Although this is a welcome step, RFE/RL will continue its lawsuit to secure all the funds that Congress appropriated for its operations this fiscal year.

RFE/RL President and CEO Stephen Capus said: “When we go dark, dictators and autocrats have the world’s front pages to themselves. Our audiences depend on RFE/RL for critical news about the Russian war in Ukraine, Iran’s nuclear ambitions, China’s growing influence, and toxic corruption in repressive regimes. When autocrats are strengthened, America is weakened.

“To carry out its congressionally mandated mission, RFE/RL needs its funds for the rest of this fiscal year.”

Other law suits have been brought in connection with the effective closure, or attempted closure of other US international broadcasters including Voice of America. It had been thought that staff might be able to start to return to work earlier in May. However, this has not happened and VoA remains off the air and its English-language website has not been updated since March. It is difficult to see how this situation will be resolved. If it is, the task of rebuilding audiences and their trust around the world will be immense.