Type | Radio network |
---|---|
Country | Australia |
Availability | International |
Owner | Australian Broadcasting Corporation |
Launch date | 20 December 1939 |
Official website | ABC Asia (Asia–Pacific) ABC Pacific (Pacific) |
Language | English, Pidgin, French |
ABC Radio Australia, also known as Radio Australia, is the international broadcasting and online service operated by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), Australia's public broadcaster. Most programming is in English, with some in Tok Pisin.
Radio Australia broadcasts on FM transmitters in seven countries across the Pacific Islands, to the Indo-Pacific region via satellite, and to the rest of world via online streaming. [1]
Short-wave services from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation were officially opened in a ceremony by Prime Minister of Australia Robert Menzies on 20 December 1939. [2] [3] One of the functions of Australian shortwave broadcasting was to counter propaganda by the Axis powers, particularly that of Japan. [3] However, the ABC's transmitters were much weaker than the Japanese or German services. The transmitter of Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia) (AWA) near Sydney had 10 kilowatts (kW) of power, and stations VLR and VLW had 2 kW each. [4]
Radio Australia had a considerable range of broadcasts to the Asian region in the 1970s and 1980s,[ citation needed ] and was hugely popular in China, where the only alternative was the state media controlled by the Chinese Communist Party. [5] During the first Gulf War in 1990/91 the Darwin station provided valuable information and support to expatriate Australians caught in Iraq, and others working in places like Saudi Arabia.[ citation needed ]
In 1993, the ABC launched its international TV broadcasting, but Radio Australia's budget was cut significantly under the Howard government, causing the closure of its Cantonese, Thai and French services, as well as shutting down the short-wave transmitter to South-East and North-East Asia. This move was condemned by newspaper editors (including that of The Australian ) and politicians alike, who saw the loss of Australia's ability to wield "soft power" in the region. [5] The Mansfield Review which had led to the cuts also suggested that international television could be supported by DFAT. Due to financial and political pressures transmissions from Darwin's Cox Peninsula were also shut down in the late 1990s. [3]
In January 2017 the ABC terminated its last short-wave radio broadcasts to the Pacific region. Vanuatu's prime minister, Charlot Salwai, expressed concern, with his country having been helped by the short-wave service during Cyclone Pam in 2015; short-wave transmission is capable of reaching remote islands without FM services, enabling the provision of emergency information and warnings. ABC's former frequencies were bought by China Radio International, China's national broadcaster. [5] ABC boss Michelle Guthrie was grilled in the Senate Estimates over axing short-wave radio broadcasting in February 2017. [6] The decision attracted criticism from cattle station owners, Indigenous ranger groups and fishermen, who argue it was done without community consultation and would deprive people in remote areas of vital emergency warnings, leading to Nick Xenophon introducing legislation to force ABC to reinstate short-wave radio service. [7] In September 2017 the Nick Xenophon Team announced it had negotiated a review of the reach of Australian broadcasting services in the Asia Pacific region, including examining if short-wave technology should be included in the Government's Media Reform Bill. [8]
In December 2019, ABC Radio Australia celebrated 80 years of international radio broadcasting. [9]
In almost 80 years of terrestrial service, Radio Australia has utilised a wide range of transmission facilities for delivery of its programmes to target areas, both from within Australia and from established international broadcasting sites overseas.
In 1941, following consultation between the British and Australian governments, a transmitter site in Shepparton, Victoria was selected, in part because of a flat landscape and soil conductivity. The site was completed in 1944 with one 50 kW and two 100 kW transmitters. The station was then formally named Radio Australia. [10]
In the 1970s, test transmissions began from the 250 kW transmitter early in December 1975 and official test broadcasts began a couple of weeks later on 20 December 1975, the second transmitter was the 100 kW Harris and this unit began test broadcasts on 15 February in 1976, third transmitter, rated at 300 kW and designated as VLM, was taken into regular service on 6 May 1984, and the station was finally closed on 31 July 1996.
A new transmitting facility was installed by the Postmaster-General's Department at Cox Peninsula near Darwin in the late 1960s, rebroadcasting programs emanating from Radio Australia studios in Melbourne. Equipment included three Collins Radio 250 kW HF transmitters and five log-periodic antennas directed at East Asia and South-east Asia. The antennas were largely demolished by Cyclone Tracy on 25 December 1974, and Radio Australia broadcasts from this locality were not reinstated by Telecom Australia until about 1988.[ citation needed ]
In 1941, the PMGD acquired a site and then established transmission facilities at Bald Hills, then to the north of Brisbane, now a suburb of Brisbane. The site was principally intended for the AM national broadcasting services 4QG and 4QR, but also for ABC HF Inland Service to serve remote northwest Queensland. From late 1973 to 1976 the site relayed the Radio Australia Papua New Guinea service on 11880 kHz.On the Air
The high power ABC AM station, 4QN Townsville, had been operating from a site at Brandon, south of Townsville since the early 1950s.On the Air In 1988, three STC 10 kW transmitters were relocated from the Lyndhurst site which had recently closed. Also relocated from Lyndhurst was a rotatable log periodic antenna, locked in direction towards Papua New Guinea. Scheduled transmissions commenced 7 May 1989 on 6020 kHz. A second phase of implementation commenced shortly thereafter with the installation of two TCI curtain arrays, one beamed towards PNG and the other towards the Coral Sea and beyond (Solomon Islands and Vanuatu). Portion of the antenna was salvaged from the cyclone damaged Cox Peninsula facility.
On 14–15 March 2020 the Shepparton and District Amateur Radio Club organised a special event station VI3RA, with amateur radio operators connecting their equipment to the disused antenna arrays at the Shepparton site in order to communicate with amateur radio operators worldwide.
Radio Australia's short-wave signal was primarily aimed at the Asia-Pacific region. Programming was broadcast in multiple languages, namely English, Mandarin Chinese, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Khmer, French, Burmese, and Tok Pisin (a creole language commonly spoken in Papua New Guinea). A daily Pacific news bulletin is podcast in French. [11] Though Radio Australia did not directly target North America via shortwave, some of its transmissions could be heard in those areas. ABC Radio Australia's satellite signals also broadcasts to the Indo-Pacific via Intelsat-18 and Intelsat-20 satellites.
A special log periodic antenna with 18dB gain was placed at the Shepparton site for the 1956 Olympics to target Europe for coverage of the games. It was directed 128 degrees (E by SE) at the long path across the South Pacific, Central America and the North Atlantic to Europe. The path was open on the 25 m Band for about two hours in the morning (Europe). A 50 kW transmitter was used to drive it. A daily program for Europe was maintained for a long time. The transmisisons for Asia (with opposite direction of 308 degrees) were easily received in Europe. [12]
Radio Australia could also be heard on CBC Radio across Canada during their overnight broadcast. [13] The station resumed Fiji transmission through negotiations with the Ministry of Information and the Fiji Broadcasting Corporation (FBC) in July 2012. Radio Australia can be heard on 106.6FM in main cities of Fiji. [14]
Radio Australia programs are also available via the Internet. These services are streamed from machines hosted by Akamai Technologies in Steinsel, Luxembourg ensuring good network connectivity for listeners in Europe.[ citation needed ]
Asia Pacific was a regional news and current affairs program broadcast from Tuesday to Saturday at 12:05 am and repeated at 5 am on Radio National, for a domestic audience, from around or before 2009. [15] It was created by Radio Australia, Asia Pacific was first launched in April 1998, and it runs until August 2014 after sixteen years on air. [16] Schedule changes by ABC Radio Australia in 2013 saw the show lose its domestic radio audience.[ citation needed ]
Radio Australia's English language programs consist of material produced by ABC Radio Australia, and also other ABC radio networks such as ABC Local Radio, ABC Radio National, ABC Classic FM, Triple J, Triple J Unearthed, Double J, ABC Sport, and ABC NewsRadio, as well as SBS Radio's SBS Gagana Samoan program.
On 4 July 2023, Radio Australia launched its new weekly music show, On The Record, hosted by Samoan-Australian music journalist, broadcaster, and content producer Sosefina Fuamoli. It features well-known artists from around the Pacific region, such as Tiana Khasi, Sprigga Mek, and Joji Malani, and is broadcast to Papua New Guinea, Fiji, and Samoa. [17] Fuamoli wrote for The AU Review from about 2011 until 2018, taking up the position of editor-in-chief in January 2016. She left to start to a new role at triple j. [18] Her work has appeared in Rolling Stone Australia , NME Australia , Junkee , and The Australian , among other publications, and she has acted as a judge in many major music awards. [17] In 2020, she won the award for best Live Music Journalist at the National Live Music Awards. [19] In 2021, she began hosting "Window Seat" on community radio station 3RRR in Melbourne, [20] where she is based. [21]
Radio Australia has been implicated in the Indonesian mass killings of 1965–66 for its propaganda broadcasts that contributed to the anti-Communist hysteria in Indonesia. [22] [23] At the time Radio Australia was the most popular foreign radio station in Indonesia and had a high signal strength. [24] [23] [25] It was popular with students as it was the only station in Indonesia to play rock music. [24] The Indonesian National Armed Forces gave Radio Australia daily briefings on what it should report and what phrases should be used. [26] The station was instructed to report manipulations of the truth as if they were facts. [23]
The Australian Department of External Affairs gave daily guidance to Radio Australia over its Indonesian broadcasts, [24] instructed it on the topics it should report on and the phrases it should use, [22] and often edited the station's programming. [25] [27] Radio Australia was instructed to not broadcast disavowals by the Communist Party (PKI) of responsibility for the attempted coup, [24] and was told, "Radio Australia should not give the impression that the army alone was acting against the PKI. Civilian organisations should be mentioned as often as possible. ... Reports should never imply that the army or its supporters were in any way pro-Western or right wing." [25] [24] Radio Australia faithfully followed these guidelines. [24]
The Australian ambassador, Mick Shann, encouraged Radio Australia to report manipulations and misconstructions of the truth in line with requests from the Indonesian Army, and told the station to not compromise the Army's position. [22] He said Radio Australia's broadcasts were "excellent propaganda and of assistance to the anti-PKI forces" [23] and "we must be a bit dishonest for a while." [22] [28]
Richard Woolcott explained his guidance to the radio station by saying "Radio Australia should, by careful selection of its news items, not do anything which would be helpful to the PKI and should highlight reports tending to discredit the PKI and show its involvement in the losing cause of the 30th September movement." [25] [28] [27]
The propaganda encouraged militias and civilians to participate in the slaughter, and justifying the killings through the demonisation of the victims. [22]
ABC's Asia Pacific television network, as of 2021 [update] known as ABC Australia, has been broadcasting to the region since 1993. [5]
The ABC has increased its Internet presence for international audiences; the iview streaming service is available via an app, and ABC News Online includes Chinese-language and Tok Pisin articles. [5]
ABC Pacific is the ABC's new digital home for the best Pacific Islands content from across the ABC website since 2022. [5]
Shortwave radio is radio transmission using radio frequencies in the shortwave bands (SW). There is no official definition of the band range, but it always includes all of the high frequency band (HF), which extends from 3 to 30 MHz ; above the medium frequency band (MF), to the bottom of the VHF band.
International broadcasting consists of radio and television transmissions that purposefully cross international boundaries, often with then intent of allowing expatriates to remain in touch with their countries of origin as well as educate, inform, and influence residents of foreign countries. Content can range from overt propaganda and counterpropaganda to cultural content to news reports that reflect the point of view and concerns of the originating country or that seek to provide alternative information to that otherwise available as well as promote tourism and trade. In the first half of the twentieth century, international broadcasting was used by colonial empires as a means of connecting colonies with the metropole. When operated by governments or entities close to a government, international broadcasting can be a form of soft power. Less frequently, international broadcasting has been undertaken for commercial purposes by private broadcasters.
In radio, longwave, long wave or long-wave, and commonly abbreviated LW, refers to parts of the radio spectrum with wavelengths longer than what was originally called the medium-wave broadcasting band. The term is historic, dating from the early 20th century, when the radio spectrum was considered to consist of longwave (LW), medium-wave (MW), and short-wave (SW) radio bands. Most modern radio systems and devices use wavelengths which would then have been considered 'ultra-short'.
In radio communication, skywave or skip refers to the propagation of radio waves reflected or refracted back toward Earth from the ionosphere, an electrically charged layer of the upper atmosphere. Since it is not limited by the curvature of the Earth, skywave propagation can be used to communicate beyond the horizon, at intercontinental distances. It is mostly used in the shortwave frequency bands.
Radio Canada International (RCI) is the international broadcasting service of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Prior to 1970, RCI was known as the CBC International Service. The broadcasting service was also previously referred to as the Voice of Canada, broadcasting on shortwave from powerful transmitters in Sackville, New Brunswick. "In its heyday", said Radio World magazine, "Radio Canada International was one of the world's most listened-to international shortwave broadcasters". However, as the result of an 80 percent budget cut, shortwave services were terminated in June 2012, and RCI became accessible exclusively via the Internet. It also reduced its services to five languages and ended production of its own news service.
Radio Netherlands was a public radio and television network based in Hilversum, producing and transmitting programmes for international audiences outside the Netherlands from 1947 to 2012.
Shortwave listening, or SWLing, is the hobby of listening to shortwave radio broadcasts located on frequencies between 1700 kHz and 30 MHz (30 000 kHz). Listeners range from casual users seeking international news and entertainment programming, to hobbyists immersed in the technical aspects of long-distance radio reception and sending and collecting official confirmations that document their reception of remote broadcasts (DXing). In some developing countries, shortwave listening enables remote communities to obtain regional programming traditionally provided by local medium wave AM broadcasters. In 2002, the number of households that were capable of shortwave listening was estimated to be in the hundreds of millions.
Vatican Radio is the official broadcasting service of Vatican City.
Shortwave broadcasting in the United States allows private ownership of commercial and non-commercial shortwave stations that are not relays of existing AM/MW or FM radio stations, as are common in Africa, Europe, Asia, Oceania except Australia and Latin America. In addition to private broadcasters, the United States also has government broadcasters and relay stations for international public broadcasters. Most privately owned shortwave stations have been religious broadcasters, either wholly owned and programmed by Roman Catholic and evangelical Protestant charities or offering brokered programming consisting primarily of religious broadcasters. To better reach other continents of the world, several stations are located in far-flung US territories. Shortwave stations in the US are not permitted to operate exclusively for a domestic audience; they are subject to antenna and power requirements to reach an international audience.
HCJB, "The Voice of the Andes", was the first radio station with daily programming in Ecuador and the first Christian missionary radio station in the world. The station was founded in 1931 by Clarence W. Jones, Reuben Larson, and D. Stuart Clark. HCJB now focuses on Ecuador with unified programming on FM at 89.3 MHz in Pichincha, at 92.5 MHz in Manabí, at 96.1 MHz in Tungurahua and Cotopaxi, at 98.3 MHz in Esmeraldas and with separate programming on AM at 690 kHz. Broadcasts in Spanish and indigenous languages on 6.05 MHz (1 kW), continue on an intermittent basis with a new solid state transmitter which in 2017 replaced an older (5 kW) transmitter. These broadcasts were not listed on the HCJB English website as of February 2016.
A broadcast transmitter is an electronic device which radiates radio waves modulated with information content intended to be received by the general public. Examples are a radio broadcasting transmitter which transmits audio (sound) to broadcast radio receivers (radios) owned by the public, or a television transmitter, which transmits moving images (video) to television receivers (televisions). The term often includes the antenna which radiates the radio waves, and the building and facilities associated with the transmitter. A broadcasting station consists of a broadcast transmitter along with the production studio which originates the broadcasts. Broadcast transmitters must be licensed by governments, and are restricted to specific frequencies and power levels. Each transmitter is assigned a unique identifier consisting of a string of letters and numbers called a callsign, which must be used in all broadcasts.
ALLISS is a somewhat rotatable antenna system for high power shortwave radio broadcasting in the 6 MHz to 26 MHz range. An ALLISS module is a self-contained shortwave relay station that is used for international broadcasting.
Radio Ukraine International, abbreviated RUI, is the official international broadcasting station of Ukraine, with foreign language news and programming being produced by Ukrainian Radio's main editorial department for broadcasting in EBU languages. RUI broadcasts in Belarusian, Bulgarian, English, Hungarian, Polish, Romanian and Slovak. The Ukrainian language programming aired on RUI is produced by the domestic First Channel.
RNZ Pacific or Radio New Zealand Pacific, sometimes abbreviated to RNZP, is a division of Radio New Zealand and the official international broadcasting station of New Zealand. It broadcasts a variety of news, current affairs and sports programmes in English, and news in seven Pacific languages. The station's mission statement requires it to promote and reflect New Zealand in the Pacific, and better relations between New Zealand and Pacific countries. It was called Radio New Zealand International or RNZ International (RNZI) until May 2017.
Shortwave relay stations are transmitter sites used by international broadcasters to extend their coverage to areas that cannot be reached easily from their home state. For example, the BBC operates an extensive net of relay stations.
CKCX was the call sign used for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's shortwave transmitter complex near Sackville, New Brunswick at the Tantramar Marshes. The Sackville Relay Station was operated by Radio Canada International and broadcast its programming around the world as well as relay transmissions from several foreign shortwave broadcasters. Domestically, it transmitted broadcasts on 9.625 MHz to northern Quebec by CBC North, the James Bay Cree Communications Society and Taqramiut Nipingat, the Inuit communications society of the Nunavik region of northern Quebec. The CKCX designation was assigned after CBC Radio's CBA, under whose licence the Sackville complex originally operated, moved to Moncton in 1968. Sackville was also used by Radio Japan, China Radio International, Voice of Vietnam, BBC World Service, Deutsche Welle and Radio Korea as part of a transmitter time exchange agreement.
The Grigoriopol transmitter, officially the Transnistrian Radio and Television Center, is a very large broadcasting facility situated near Maiac, an urban settlement 11 km northeast of Grigoriopol, Transnistria (Moldova).
WWRB was a shortwave international broadcasting station known as both "World Wide Religious Broadcasting" and "World Wide Radio Broadcasting" broadcasting from Morrison, Tennessee. It was a subsidiary of Airline Transport Communications Incorporated. The station featured primarily Christian religious programming.
PCJJ was a pioneering shortwave radio station in the Netherlands operated by Philips Radio on behalf of Philips Laboratories, a division of Philips Electronics. It was the first shortwave radio station in Europe, and the first dedicated shortwave radio station in the world - previous stations had simulcast AM/medium wave broadcasts.
Bald Hills Radiator is a radio transmission centre at 99 Kluver St, Bald Hills, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is also known as the National Broadcasting Service Radio Transmission Centre. It is listed on the Brisbane Heritage Register. The centre transmits all the Brisbane AM radio programmes of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).
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