Category: Overseas

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s international radio service, ABC Radio Australia is now available on 92.3FM for residents across the Tarawa atoll in the central Pacific island nation.

The launch in Tarawa, Kiribati marks the return of the service after a decade off air and is the latest milestone for ABC Radio Australia in reaching new audiences across the Pacific. The full radio service offers listeners an extensive schedule of bespoke programming covering the latest in news, music, sports, culture, health, science and faith.

ABC International Head Claire M. Gorman said: “We are delighted to be starting the year with the launch of our tenth new ABC Radio Australia service in collaboration with BPA. This latest development signifies not only the network’s incredible growth in both its transmission expansion across the Pacific region but is also reflected in the growing suite of Pacific-focused content that is now accessible to audiences across Tarawa.”

ABC Radio Australia’s FM transmission service is available across Nauru, Palau, Pohnpei (Federated States of Micronesia), Kokopo and Lorengau (Papua New Guinea), Gizo and Auki (Solomon Islands), Rarotonga (the Cook Islands), with plans for FM services to be made available in 2025 in the Marshall Islands and Buka in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville in Papua New Guinea.

WAYS TO LISTEN:

If you’re in Tarawa, Kiribati, tune into to ABC Radio Australia on 92.3FM.

Across the Pacific region, there are multiple ways to listen to ABC Radio Australia – live via internet streaming or in your area through 24-hour FM stations, or catch up with full episodes on ABC Pacific online.

Residents of Lorengau in Papua New Guinea (PNG) can now tune into ABC Radio Australia on 101.9FM and enjoy its full suite of news, sports, music, culture and health programming.

The launch of the new transmission site in Manus Province, in Papua New Guinea’s northern region, marks a new milestone for ABC Radio Australia and its ongoing FM footprint expansion.

ABC International Head Claire M. Gorman said: “We are delighted to be reaching new audiences in Lorengau and to continue to deliver on our commitment to expand ABC Radio Australia’s transmission footprint. We invite listeners in and around Lorengau to explore the growing offering of programs available every day, connecting its residents with the latest in regional news, conversations and music.”

Manager of Audio Output and Strategy Justine Kelly who oversees the ABC Radio Australia network said: “It has been a tremendous year at ABC Radio Australia with new presenters, the growth of new bespoke programming that includes even more topics of interest from across the region, and the expansion of our transmission network reaching new audiences. We’re thrilled that Lorengau is now on-air and broadcasting the incredible stories, voices and music of ABC Radio Australia.”

ABC Radio Australia has a long-standing commitment to Papua New Guinea and its diverse regions and audiences, and the new Lorengau service comes in addition to existing services in locations including Port Moresby, Lae, Goroka, Mount Hagen, Arawa (Bougainville) and Kokopo.

WAYS TO LISTEN:

There are multiple ways to listen to ABC Radio Australia – live via internet streaming or in your area through 24-hour FM stations, or catch up with full episodes on ABC Pacific online.

ABC Radio Australia is available in Papua New Guinea on 101.9FM in Port Moresby, Lae, Goroka, Mount Hagen, Arawa (Bougainville), Kokopo and Lorengau.

For interview opportunities or general media enquiries, please contact:
Annalise Ramponi
Marketing and Communications Coordinator, ABC International
Ramponi.annalise@abc.net.au

About ABC International Services

For 85 years, the ABC has been broadcasting internationally. ABC Australia television has a monthly viewership across the Asia-Pacific of at least 10.5 million* and is available internationally via more than 100 rebroadcast partners. ABC Radio Australia’s FM radio service has a monthly urban listenership of at least 355,500** in the Pacific and Timor-Leste. ABC Pacific, the digital home for bespoke and curated content for Pacific audiences, has approximately 487,500*** followers on ABC Pacific Facebook. ABC Asia, the digital home for bespoke and curated content for audiences across Asia, has over 5.7 million***followers on ABC Asia Facebook.

*Viewership in Asia measured by Ipsos Affluent Asia data, estimations and extrapolations (May 24), in the Pacific viewership measured by Tebbutt data, estimations and extrapolations (Nov 23). Total audience number is approximate and has not been de-duped.

**Based on ABC-commissioned Tebbutt ‘Media Usage in the Pacific Survey’ (Nov 2023) noting listenership figure is estimated based on urban populations of six Pacific countries with the Timor-Leste audience figure extrapolated.

***Figures taken from Khoros Analytics (Sept 24).

Radio New Zealand (RNZ) and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding, outlining a new framework for co-productions, sharing of content domestically and on each other’s international channels. 

In a visit to RNZ offices in Wellington, ABC Managing Director David Anderson, ABC Strategy Director Mark Tapley and ABC International Head Claire M. Gorman met with RNZ Chief Executive Paul Thompson for the official signing of the new partnership.

Under the key tenets of the MOU, the ABC and RNZ will develop a productive and meaningful working relationship through collaborative projects and content sharing activity to serve audiences both domestically and across the Pacific.

The framework of the new agreement also identifies how both public broadcasters, through their regional broadcast efforts, will aim to promote access to high quality news, combat misinformation and provide content and services that inform, educate and entertain audiences.

Collaboration under the MOU has already begun with daily news sharing and content exchange between the ABC and RNZ News teams, as well as a radio and podcast co-production that will launch later this year.

RNZ Chief Executive and Editor in Chief Paul Thompson said the new partnership builds on the existing relationship: “We have so much in common with the ABC in terms of our shared opportunities and challenges as public media organisations, and this MOU allows us to learn from each other, to share content and even to consider how we might work together on co-productions.”

“The MOU also recognises the shared role we have in the Pacific to work collaboratively alongside local media partners to promote high-quality news and current affairs.”

ABC Managing Director David Anderson said: “As a fellow public broadcaster and close neighbour, the ABC has a deep history of working side-by-side with RNZ in fulfilling our responsibilities to serve our respective nations. We welcome this opportunity to explore new areas for collaboration and content exchange across our services and offerings.”

ABC International Head Claire M. Gorman commented: “We are delighted to be formalising our partnership with RNZ; the MOU signifies an exciting and important next step in strengthening our friendship. By working together across new initiatives and projects, this agreement will support our shared commitment to continue delivering high-quality news, diverse regional storytelling and informative and entertaining content to audiences across the region.”

About ABC International Services

Since 1939, the ABC has been broadcasting to audiences overseas. The International division reaches an estimated 14,224,065 unique monthly overseas audiences through owned and operated platforms including ABC Australia, ABC Radio Australia and ABC websites and apps including ABC Pacific and ABC Asia. The ABC’s international audiences come from all corners of the globe. ABC Australia, the ABC’s international television service available in 37 markets throughout Asia and the Pacific, has a monthly viewership of at least 3,905,050. ABC Radio Australia, the ABC’s international radio service available via FM in the Pacific and Timor Leste, has a monthly listenership of at least 321,225. Outside Australia, ABC websites and apps have an average global monthly usership of 9,997,790, which includes approximately 7,505,085 users across the Americas, Europe and Africa and 1,865,655 users in Asia.

*Figures based on the ABC 2022-23 Annual Report

About RNZ

RNZ is New Zealand’s independent non-commercial public media organisation and has proudly been so for almost 100 years.

RNZ delivers a diverse range of content that reflects New Zealand’s culture, social and regional diversity. It serves as a platform for quality journalism, creating a space for open dialogue and informed discussion on topics that matter to New Zealanders.

RNZ has more than 60 content-sharing partnerships and collaborations in place. It means RNZ content is available to many online media, print, radio and television services in New Zealand and the wider Pacific. This improves the accessibility of RNZ content for New Zealand and overseas audiences and provides a valuable source of unique local content for other media.

Ahead of the official start of the Paris Olympics, the Greens are urging broadcaster Nine to only use Australian music for winning moments in their television and social media coverage. The Greens’ call follows the successful campaign by Australian musician Jack River during the Tokyo Olympics which saw Seven add more local tunes to their coverage, as well as the establishment of Our Soundtrack Our Stories group alongside ARIA, which lobbies broadcasters, ad agencies and businesses to play more Aussie music. Greens Spokesperson for the Arts Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said: “The Greens are urging Nine: Go for gold with Australian music. “It’s great to see tracks by Jessica Mauboy and Tones and I selected for the team song and Nine’s promo video for the games, but Nine has an opportunity to go much further and give airtime to only Australian artists. “Tones and I’s new track has already had more than one million streams demonstrating how significant the inclusion of Australian music is in these nationally significant moments for our homegrown artists. “At a time when our artists are struggling after Covid lockdowns, festival cancellations and venue closures, and the cost-of-living crisis, all of our television and radio broadcasters can be doing so much more to support Australian music. But the Olympics is a big moment that shouldn’t go to waste.” Australian Musician, Singer and Songwriter Jack River (Holly Rankin) said: “Iconic Australian moments deserve to be tracked to iconic homegrown songs. Songs written by and for the next generation of Australians who are representing our country here and abroad. “There are few moments where we stop to celebrate Australia and our people. I hope Nine can answer the call at this moment and soundtrack the Paris Olympics with great homegrown music. “We have some of the best talent in the world; lets showcase it.”

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.

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.

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.

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.”

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

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.

About ABC International Services

Since 1939, the ABC has been broadcasting to audiences overseas. The International division reaches an estimated 14,224,065 unique monthly overseas audiences through owned and operated platforms including ABC Australia, ABC Radio Australia and ABC websites and apps including ABC Pacific and ABC Asia. The ABC’s international audiences come from all corners of the globe. ABC Australia, the ABC’s international television service available in 37 markets throughout Asia and the Pacific, has a monthly viewership of at least 3,905,050. ABC Radio Australia, the ABC’s international radio service available via FM in the Pacific and Timor Leste, has a monthly listenership of at least 321,225. Outside Australia, ABC websites and apps have an average global monthly usership of 9,997,790 which includes approximately 7,505,085 users across the Americas, Europe and Africa and 1,865,655 users in Asia.

*Figures based on the ABC 2022-23 Annual Report

About ABC International Development 

​ABC International Development (ABCID) is the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s media development unit. ABCID supports partner organisations in the Indo-Pacific region to pursue quality journalism, tell engaging stories and build strong connections with their communities. It leverages ABC regional expertise and sources the best Australian and Indo-Pacific talent in journalism, program-making, thematic content, organisational development and research to support capacity building in media organisations across the Indo-Pacific region.

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) has launched ABC Radio Australia on FM in Tuvalu for the first time, marking another milestone in the network’s expansion in the Pacific. Tuvalu audiences can now enjoy ABC Radio Australia’s full suite of Pacific-focused news, music, sport and cultural programming on 102FM.

The ABC has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Tuvalu Broadcasting Corporation (TVBC), demonstrating the ongoing partnership between the two public broadcasters. The MOU supports future opportunities for the ABC and TVBC to share technical knowledge and content, and recognises each organisation’s respective role providing public interest broadcasting services to their national audiences.

The ABC and TVBC signed the MOU and celebrated the historic launch of the new service at a ceremony in Funafuti, Tuvalu.

ABC International Head Claire M. Gorman, who co-hosted the ceremony, said: “We are incredibly excited to be commemorating the collaboration between the ABC and TVBC in launching ABC Radio Australia in Tuvalu and welcome everyone to enjoy the new FM radio service. The MOU between the ABC and TVBC also marks an important milestone in our partnership, and I look forward to future opportunities for us both to work together in supporting our audiences across Tuvalu and Australia.”

TVBC Managing Director Yvette D’Unienville Isaac, who also co-hosted the ceremony, said: “We welcome the new ABC Radio Australia FM service with open arms and are thrilled to be formalising the excellent relationship that TVBC enjoys with the ABC. We hope the new MOU leads to a greater cross-cultural exchange of ideas and information and deepens the connections and friendships between our countries.”

ABC Radio Australia has recently expanded its FM transmission footprint to include Nauru, Palau, Pohnpei (Federated States of Micronesia), Kokopo (Papua New Guinea) and Gizo (Solomon Islands) and plans to launch in more new locations in coming months including Kiribati, the Cook Islands, Marshall Islands, Lorengau in Papua New Guinea, and Buka in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville.

WAYS TO LISTEN:

Tuvalu residents can now listen on 102FM to high quality ABC Radio Australia programming including Pacific Beat, Nesia Daily, Climate Mana, Culture Compass, Pacific Pulse, Pacific Soul, Stories from the Pacific, Fresh Off The Field , Nesian Footy, Island Music and Sista Sounds.

There are multiple ways to listen to ABC Radio Australia – live via internet streaming or in your area through 24-hour FM stations, or catch up with full episodes on ABC Pacific online.

About ABC International Services

Since 1939, the ABC has been broadcasting to audiences overseas. The International division reaches an estimated 14,224,065 unique monthly overseas audiences through owned and operated platforms including ABC Australia, ABC Radio Australia and ABC websites and apps including ABC Pacific and ABC Asia. The ABC’s international audiences come from all corners of the globe. ABC Australia, the ABC’s international television service available in 37 markets throughout Asia and the Pacific, has a monthly viewership of at least 3,905,050. ABC Radio Australia, the ABC’s international radio service available via FM in the Pacific and Timor Leste, has a monthly listenership of at least 321,225. Outside Australia, ABC websites and apps have an average global monthly usership of 9,997,790 which includes approximately 7,505,085 users across the Americas, Europe and Africa and 1,865,655 users in Asia.

​

*Figures based on the ABC 2022-23 Annual Report

Pushing the boundaries of digital storytelling, SBS Spice is for Gen Y with a South Asian heritage who want to shape their own cultural narratives and be informed and entertained via social media.

SBS Spice is an exciting new English language digital offering for South Asian Australians aged 20-34, spicing things up with unique perspectives on hot topics ranging from pop culture to politics, aimed at exploring identity, belonging and social change.

Amplifying diverse voices and showcasing South Asian storytelling through a contemporary Australian lens, SBS Spice will lead progressive, thought-provoking and tongue-in-cheek conversations to cultivate a vibrant and inclusive community for young South Asian Australians born here as well as newly arrived.

SBS Spice is for the young and curious with a South Asian heritage who are active on social media, and interested in culturally shaping the narratives of where we come from and where we’re headed in a forward-looking Australia,” said Dilpreet Kaur Taggar, Executive Producer of SBS Spice, who is an Indian-born journalist, founder of South Asian Today and known for probing social nuances and amplifying diverse perspectives.

Driving video content and conversations on Instagram, YouTube and via podcasts, SBS Spice will tackle complex issues such as identity, gender equality and mental health, as well as provide entertainment and the latest in pop culture. Hosted by Taggar and Suhayla Sharif, a Bollywood obsessed Australian-Fijian journalist, it will feature the following audio-visual segments:

• Scan – short explainer series that delves behind the headlines of local and global issues to explore different viewpoints.
• Two Chillies in a Pod – long-form podcasts featuring first-person interviews with South Asian disruptors and game changers from Australia and abroad, including former Editor of Vogue India, Megha Kapoor; traveller Priya Sharma; content creator Jeremy Franco; social worker Amar Singh; and actors Shahana Goswami and Ayesha Madon.
• Spice Express – short-form podcasts focused on community check-ins to understand what issues are making South Asians click or feel ick.

The launch of SBS Spice coincides with SBS rebranding its PopDesi channel to SBS South Asian, a single destination channel for all things South Asian. Locally produced content in 10 languages is available live and on demand across broadcast radio, live streaming, digital publishing and podcasting, including a new dedicated YouTube channel offering a complete audio visualisation experience.

“SBS is proud to continue delivering on the outcomes of our Language Services Review, which is conducted every five years in line with the national Census to ensure SBS’s offering reflects a diverse and contemporary Australia and helps build a sense of inclusion and belonging for everyone,” said Pamela Cook, Acting Director of SBS Audio.

“South Asians are the fastest growing migrant population in Australia, with more than 1.5 million Australians speaking a sub continental language at home. SBS is uniquely placed to capture this depth and diversity across first, second and third generation migrants who belong and enrich the fabric of contemporary Australia,” said Manpreet Kaur Singh, Program Manager for SBS South Asian including SBS Spice.

SBS South Asian’s language programs include Bangla, Gujarati, Hindi, Nepali, Malayalam, Punjabi, Sinhala, Tamil and Urdu, featuring all the latest news, current affairs, entertainment and community stories broadcast live from 11:00AM to 6:00PM on weekdays, and 5:00PM to 6:00PM on weekends. At other times, enjoy extensive music playlists featuring all the best Bollywood (Hindi), Bhangra (Punjabi) and Nepali hits, with music in other languages to be added to the schedule progressively. A Telugu language offering launched last year is also available via podcast, website and social media.

For migrants newly arrived in Australia, SBS further provides essential services available free and online. Australia Explained offers practical information to assist with participating in everyday social and civic life, with topics ranging from tips on how to find a job to the cultural protocols of attending a BBQ, and translated into over 30 languages including Bangla, Gujarati, Hindi, Malayalam, Nepali, Punjabi, Sinhala, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu.

While Punjabi and Hindi are now among the top 10 languages spoken in Australian households, Nepali is the fastest growing. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census data, the number of people speaking Punjabi is 239,033, Hindi 197,132, Nepali 133,068, Urdu 111,873, Tamil 95,404. Sinhala 85,869, Gujarati 81,334, Malayalam 78,738, Bangla 70,116 and Telugu 59,406.

SBS Spice is available via the SBS Audio App, website, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and most places where you consume your podcasts. Sample the trailer here. SBS South Asian is available on DAB, digital TV (Channel 305), and its own dedicated YouTube channel, as well as the SBS Audio App and website. Each SBS South Asian language program also has its own Facebook page and a bilingual website, with audio offerings available at most places where you consume your podcasts.