(Source: Radio New Zealand via Richard Cuff)
There is a push in Australia to re-establish Radio Australia’s services to the Asia/Pacific region.
Supporters of RA in Australia hope people around the Pacific will join them in sending submissions to inquiries underway in Canberra.
It comes after savage cuts at RA that included shutting down shortwave transmission, which is seen as a critical service in many parts of the Pacific, particularly during natural disasters.
It has recently been reported that those transmission frequencies have been taken over by China Radio International.
Former RA journalist Sean Dorney said the group, of which he’s part, is trying to convince the Australian government to get back into that space.
“So there is a bit of concern in Canberra about this and I suppose the group that I’m part of are trying to convince the Australian government that it’s time to re-focus our attention on the broadcast to the region.”
The Socialist-leaning Australian news media (a government owned dept.) has had little to say about supporting Western values and culture and withdrew a useful counter to the ubiquitous Chinese airwave presence (CRI and PBS are everywhere!). I think they have it all backwards and gave up a tool in shortwave broadcasting to influence people in the region. VOA and BBC cutting back also. Do Australians want to become just a satellite of Communist China or do they want to stick up for themselves and promote what they stand for? If it is just to promote Political Correctness, that will not work against a Relentless Chinese tsunami. Or perhaps they think they have alternatives besides shortwave radio to counter the Chinese influence like an internet presence and Social Media (how is that working out)?? I would welcome RA back on the air but only if they provide a meaningful (and workable) alternative to the dominant propaganda of the region (in other words, don’t whine on the air about it, vigorously promote a useable alternative to Chinese influence with defined reasons why) . Otherwise, just be useful slaves of the Chinese and keep quiet. Just my 2 pence….
This is the dumbest thing I’ve read today – but, admittedly, I’ve only just gotten up out of bed and haven’t turned on the TV or visited any News Ltd websites yet…
RNZ ran an item last week
https://www.radionz.co.nz/international/programmes/datelinepacific/audio/2018650610/dateline-pacific-morning-edition-for-25-june-2018
It also seems to be more than a bit of political weight-throwing than anything else. As the article says, Sean Dorney is an ex-ABC/RA journalist, but the group behind the un-named group (or perhaps the un-named group themselves?) appears to be the Lowy Institute – a mostly apolitical and non-partisan think-tank, but with a definite centre-right & pro-Western, pro-business, pro-Israel slant.
(And I say that last not to be racist or whatever – because, to be honest, the Lowy Institute does produce a lot of thoughtful & considered output that I lean towards agreeing with – but to place the their leanings in some sort of locally & internationally identifiable context. Israel/Jewish issues simply aren’t a big factor in Australian politics, but Frank Lowy & the Lowy Institute are a couple of the more readily-identifiable names in that sphere here.)
They do have a bit of an interest what’s going on the Pacific, and they have started some thoughtful discussion (both pro and anti) on China’s efforts there – but China’s influence here & in the Pacific is a bit of a political sore point in Aus at the moment. It would seem this goes more towards pushing that bandwagon into the government to see how they respond, rather than being an actual push towards action.
Waste of money, a vanity project. ABC is aleeady on FM in the Pacific capitals like Port Moresby. So the opinion makers in thise places know of Australias government as they already have access to Australian state owned broadcasting.
Ive asked numerous iskanders if they lidyen yo SW and they nust smile and shake their heads.