ARLA/CLUSTER: Senado australiano rejeita a reactivação do serviço de ondas curtas da Radio Austrália

[João Costa > CT1FBF]

Australian senate rejects bill to restore ABC shortwave

Australia's senate has rejected proposed legislation to restore the
international radio service of the country's public broadcaster.

Many remote communities in Pacific island countries rely on shortwave radio.

The bill would have required the ABC to restore its shortwave
transmission services which the broadcaster ended in January this
year.

This move was described in the bill as having deprived communities in
Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and other parts of the Pacific of
access to reliable emergency broadcasting.

Submitters of the bill questioned the ABC's assertions that very few
listeners accessed Radio Australia's shortwave service.

Concerns of the submitters included perceived neglect of remote
communities in the Pacific, and the loss of capacity for emergency
warning broadcasts.

Read the full RNZ item:
Australian senate rejects bill to restore ABC shortwave

• Our thanks to Mike Terry for spotting this item